BBRae Madness
by yachtdepon
Summary: A list of stories about Beast Boy and Raven! I'll be putting them here from now on and I really hope y'all can have a look, review, etc! Enjoy!
1. Tokyo

**Author's Note: This is a collection of my songfics, one-shots, drabbles, one-liners, or any type of fanfic other than the typical chapter-by-chapter one, revolving around the wonderful world of BBRae! While My Teen Titans Post Season Five is put on hold ATM, I hope I can retain readers (if any) with this series! ^_^**

**So, without further ado, here is the first one!**

**I do not own Teen Titans, Godzilla, Tokyo, or anything else here except the hands used to type up this lil' piece of writing!**

"Awww! How am I supposed to pick up hot Japanese girls with a big green stain on my shirt?!"

Beast Boy frowned at the inky green liquid ruining his vacation attire as if it were the Biggest Disaster of the Year.

Raven, who happened to have landed nearby the changeling to see if Beast Boy had been hurt by the Godzilla-like monster attacking the city of Tokyo, Japan, was merely in shock at Beast Boy's audacity to comment, of all things going on, on the cleanable stain.

Charged by adrenaline, but kept poised and her usual deadpanning self, she swiftly flew to the complaining boy, pinned him down to the ground, and glared at his emerald irises.

"Your skin is green, you have fangs, and your ears are pointed; are you really worried about the shirt?" Raven told Beast Boy. When her thoughts finally caught up with her actions, she almost choked.

_I just expressed to Beast Boy three of the top four things I find in this world most adorable,_ she realized. Of course, they were fourth, third and second respectively, first being the green keen fighting teen himself. Lucky her hood was shadowing the majority of her facial features so that her blush would not go noticed by her long-time crush.

Raven and Beast Boy awkwardly stared at each other for a few seconds, after which Raven could not take it. She released him and hovered into the alley to further mask her increasingly reddening facial hues.

Raven's point finally reaching Beast Boy's almost incompetent hearing comprehension, he flailed his arms at the retreating empath.

"Hey! Cheeks dig the ears!" he complained, but Raven had already disappeared into the night of the alleyway. He jumped up and tried to chase after her to have a chance at opposing her statement. "Ack, wait!"

Unfortunately for Beast Boy, Raven was already back in battle, so he did too.

Raven, on the other hand, thought, _Great, if Beast Boy wants to argue about his cute and handsome eyes, ears, mouth and nose, he might find out that I like him. What on Earth should I do now?_

She caught a glimpse of the monster smashing its hand aimlessly at a skyscraper.

_That's right, I can do things that annoy him so that he'll not think that I have a crush him. I should constantly slap him during this vacation - err - mission, that should be easy!_


	2. Chasing Pavements

SONGFIC TIME!

It was morning in Jump City, California. The city's saviors, the Teen Titans, are living their lives in their HQ, the Titans Tower.

To Beast Boy, the resident green changeling and failing jester, living to him recently meant thinking about a certain blue-cloaked female Azarathian and a fellow teammate and roommate.

He couldn't believe it when he realized it, but he was actually starting to develop mature feelings, especially whenever it came to the changes while he sees, hears, smells, thinks or even senses her.

Beast Boy was in love with Raven.

The hormonal difference had been troubling his mind, because the initial thought of Raven for him now was of romance, of intimacy, or of long-term devotion. But subconsciousness would follow after and present his mind with second thoughts, such as him and Raven clashing personalities. Him and her were like when hot fire and cold water were to be slammed into each other - the sparks and chills would instantly die down.

What was he to do? Go and tell Raven he fancies her? After all of their fall-outs? After all the time treating each other like friends, like siblings? Or have they been treating each other like a conflicting but caring married couple?

_Bam, I just retorted myself,_ Beast Boy thought and mentally sighed. He glanced at the large screen windows and viewed the early day scene. It was cloudless and serene. Perhaps a walk would suffice.

With that, Beast Boy headed out after informing Robin that he would be going for a walk and may be late for combat practice.

While all _that_ was going on, Raven herself was having disturbances in her room. She had been recently sensing new, refreshing yet distracting emotions circulating around the tower. It was making it hard for her to meditate. Just a few seconds before Beast Boy exited the tower, Raven had had enough and decided to go out to meditate elsewhere.

Beast Boy's route started at the shore. Still thinking about Raven, the face of Terra slipped in next to the empath when he saw the rocks.

Terra had been his first ever girlfriend. In spite of the relationship lacking an official declaration, it was obvious that they had attraction with each other.

The strange thing was, Raven still dominated his mind. It was surreal. Sure, he had moved on from Terra, but surely it should have been enough to push Raven out of his thoughts. Or was it?

When the walk along the shore ended and he was still thinking about Raven, this time with him in the mix holding her hand, Beast Boy realized that he really, _really_, like_-liked_ ravishing _Raven_.

Somewhere, out there, a song started playing...

_I've made up my mind, don't need to think it over_  
_If I'm wrong I am right, don't need to look no further_  
_This ain't lust, I know this is love_

Beast Boy arrived at the city, opposite him the Tower and the shore. He and Raven did have a moment there with the Beast aftermath. He didn't have affections for Raven at that time and therefore did not mind ruining the potentially romantic moment, but if they were having that moment now, he might have kissed her then and there.

He ruined it, though. How was he supposed to compensate for that? If he were to confess to her, would that be sufficient? Would Raven say yes? When, what, where would be the perfect moment?

_But if I tell the world, I'll never say enough_  
_'Cause it was not said to you_  
_And that's exactly what I need to do if I'd end up with you_

Beast Boy was now on the streets, still troubled. Would it be a good thing telling Raven how he was recently feeling? Should he try to run for the heart he had been figuratively running from and over for a long time? Or should he give up?

_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements_  
_Even if it leads nowhere?_  
_Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place_  
_Should I leave it there?_  
_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements_  
_Even if it leads nowhere?_

Raven had phased through the floors to the roof and out to the city. She had been hovering along the buildings. The morning breeze and the homely scene meant tranquility for her mind.

However, all of a sudden, music turned on somewhere, just someplace, and all of a sudden the familiar disturbing emotions were sensed by her once again.

The more she personally knew people, the more easily she could feel their emotions. That meant a team member was near her. The unusual feeling sent shivers down her spine, but she tried her best to remain composed. She would just find out who he or she was.

_I'd build myself up and fly around in circles_  
_Wait then as my heart drops and my back begins to tingle_  
_Finally, could this be it?_

The reason the particular emotion overwhelmed her was that it was of love. It was blooming, she sensed. That probably crossed Robin and Starfire out of the equation, but it might still be possible.

She had inevitably explored a bit of the emotion. She thought it was nice. It was definitely a much more sincere lovesick feeling than when she fell for Malchior, that ancient scaly hobo.

She kind of wished she hadn't explored it, because it just made her want more. But it felt powerful, and so she wasn't sure if she could control it. But she wanted it so bad! Should she pursue on obtaining such a feeling, or should she not? Sigh, decisions, dilemmas, distractions, oh _great_.

_Oh, should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements_  
_Even if it leads nowhere?_  
_Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place_  
_Should I leave it there?_  
_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements_  
_Even if it leads nowhere? Yeah-yea-hey_

Beast Boy passed through the park, where he saw a few families enjoying their morning together. Having a family must feel just as nice as being a hero.

He kicked a crushed can that had been lying on the sidewalks, but the civic side of him proceeded to pick the once-cylindrical aluminium up and toss it into the bin.

Beast Boy should at least try to tell Raven he loves her.

_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements_  
_Even if it leads nowhere?_  
_Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place_  
_Should I leave it there?_  
_Should I give up?_

_Would it be fine to risk losing control of my powers by having a romantic relationship?_ Raven asked herself. _Trigon's gone, should I be less of a singleton? If yes, with who?_

Raven should at least give it a try.

_Or should I just keep on chasing pavements?_  
_Should I just keep on chasing pavements?_

Beast Boy suddenly sensed the scent of herbal tea and novels from above. Was Raven above him? Had she spotted him?

Raven also felt that familiar emotion with her empathy, focusing around the area under her. Was whoever he or she was just below her? Had they been following her?

The two turned their faces at their respective directions and saw each other.

_Oh, oh, should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere?  
Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place  
Should I leave it there?  
Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere?_

Raven landed beside Beast Boy. Apparently, Beast Boy had been feeling such lovely feelings. She wasn't expecting it.

"What are you doing here, Raven?" Beast Boy asked. He was still surprised, but attempted to speak casually.

"I should be asking you the same," Raven muttered. "I couldn't meditate in the tower. I was sensing a strange, powerful kind of emotion. I decided to go out to take a breather. I also realized that you're actually the one radiating such feelings in the tower."

Beast Boy chuckled weakly and gave Raven an apologetic look.

"You're in love with someone," Raven pointed out.

Beast Boy stammered, but managed to answer anyway. "Yes, I am. Recently, I've begun having feelings for a certain someone."

Raven nodded in understanding. "That's really nice, Beast Boy. I'm glad, actually. Well, and also jealous."

Beast Boy cocked his head like a rooster. "Why?"

"The way you're feeling now, it's very strong, very positive, very ideal. I've never felt that way before. It would be nice to be in love and be loved in that way."

Beast Boy chuckled again. The conversation was actually going somewhere. All he could see at that moment was Raven. He couldn't even feel the stone-paved ground underneath him.

"I know, right? It felt nice with Terra, so it must feel a lot nicer with this feeling," Beast Boy said before suddenly looking like he lost confidence. "But only if she likes me back."

Raven found herself in an awkward moment. Beast Boy led them to a love advisory session, where she was the adviser.

"Who do you like?" Raven inquired. "I mean, not to sound nosy, but I can only imagine Starfire, and she's taken."

Beast Boy smiled and replied vulnerably, "You."

Raven was shocked when she heard that. She could feel her heart spinning. Red hued her face.

A million words, a thousand thoughts, a hundred images, started flooding her mind. But it all concluded to the fact that she had been loved by Beast Boy.

Then, she did something neither of them expected. She pulled Beast Boy's faces towards hers and their lips met. It was sudden and maybe uncalled for, but it felt right. Inside, Beast Boy and Raven were smiling.

It was a good thing they kept chasing pavements.


	3. Bookcase

"May we please go to the tofu aisle now, Rae?" Beast Boy asked pleadingly, his beady eyes urging Raven's indifferent pair.

"Your soy meal is not listed on the To-Buy list, Beast Boy!" Raven snapped while pushing the shopping cart along the kitchenware aisle. "Whatever you're buying might exceed our grocery budget."

Beast Boy blocked Raven's way by standing in front of the cart.

"Since when do superheroes need financial budgeting?" Beast Boy asked.

"Since long before," Raven responded offhandedly. "It's a responsibility, Beast Boy. Superheroes don't ignore responsibilities. And though you're not ignoring, Beast Boy, you are hindering our shopping trip! Get off the way!"

"But can we just please buy tofu as well?" Beast Boy begged, hands holding each other in a beggar's gesture.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you, Rae," Beast Boy thanked before getting out of the way and planting a kiss on Raven's cheeks.

"You're welcome, Beast Boy," Raven said as she strolled the trolley on. "But lay off the nickname and, especially, use breath mints before you kiss me next time."

"Okay, my sweet dear enchantress!" Beast Boy said playfully, earning him a lenient yet threatening glare from Raven, his girlfriend.

Tofu was the last thing they placed in their cart before making all their way back to the front, where lines of customers were awaiting to checkout their groceries via cash registers.

"Couldn't you just make us phase through the aisles until we get here?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"Don't you remember what Robin said? We can't use our powers like that. And using our powers isn't going to make the checkout lines go by faster, so there's no use."

"Oh," Beast Boy said awkwardly. "Okay."

There were minutes of silent waiting among the bustling of grocers and customers. The couple finally reached their turn and were about to check out when something caught Raven's eyes.

"Whoa, those bookcases look nice," Raven commented, staring at a line of differently colored, patterned and sized bookcases on a rack behind the checkout assistant.

"Do you want one?" Beast Boy asked.

"Uh huh."

"Then let's buy it!"

"Hold on, B.B.; we don't have the budget, remember?" Raven protested.

"Then I'll give up my tofu! For you!"

"It's still not enough."

"Is it now?"

"Excuse me, Teen Titans, but I need to get this going and you still have to pay," the bored cashier reminded the heroes.

"Um, may we know how much is for one of the bookcases?" Beast Boy asked.

"Oh, they're not for sale," the cashier replied. "They're a part of a promo. You need to spend enough money here in order to obtain enough stickers to get one."

"Oh, okay!"

"Beast Boy, are you going to collect the stickers?" Raven asked. "There's no need for that, seriously. It's just a stupid bookcase."

"A stupid bookcase that caught your attention!" Beast Boy, handing the money to the cashier.

Raven sighed. "I guess I'm a sucker for stupidity, since I end up with you."

Beast Boy gave Raven another kiss on the cheek, much to her chagrin. She still wasn't fully used to the public display of affection yet, especially when her boyfriend had bad breath.

"I'm not going to collect them if you think they're a waste of time," Beast Boy finally answered, which Raven responded with a stern nod before the couple got the change, the receipt, the shopping bags with their items, and headed out the exit to fly back home.

In secret, Beast Boy was already planning on collecting all the stickers. They had received three stickers from that shopping trip, so he only needed thirty-seven more.

So for the next few days, Beast Boy had been secretly going shopping by himself. But his scheme did not go entirely unnoticed. There was an obvious change in the amount of space in the refrigerator and in the pantry, only because Beast Boy had bought more and more items. However, the majority of his spending were on tofu, so that was fine by him.

Three weeks later, Beast Boy finally had all forty stickers and could exchange them with a bookcase. That morning, he rushed to the supermarket the minute it opened and went directly to the cashier he and Raven had met to receive the item.

"Okay, which one would you like?" the cashier asked as he displayed ten different types of bookcases. Two of them caught Beast Boy's attention the most quickly. One was dark purple with cerulean blue swirls and one was lime green with purple strikes.

Beast Boy took the blue one because to him it just seemed like the obvious choice for Raven.

_She is so going to love this!_ Beast Boy thought excitedly. He was more excited to be seeing Raven smile than giving the gift itself.

Beast Boy made it back to the tower, and found Raven on the couch reading a book.

"Hey, Rae!" Beast Boy greeted, interrupting her tranquil time.

"Yes, Beast Boy?" Raven said through gritted teeth.

"I got something for you!" Beast Boy revealed the bookcase and handed it happily to Raven.

Then, he saw that, on Raven's hand, was a book encased in a purple-streaked lime green bookcase.

"Where did you get that?" Beast Boy asked.

"I bought it. They had it on sale in that supermarket yesterday and even today since tomorrow is the last day for the promotion," Raven answered. She noticed what Beast Boy was giving her. "Didn't you say you weren't gonna try to get it?"

"I - uh - well -" Beast Boy stuttered. His efforts were futile, apparently, and he inwardly frowned.

Raven gave a small smile that Beast Boy did not notice. "It doesn't matter. Thank you, Beast Boy, you're so sweet."

She took the case from Beast Boy and kissed him on the lips, to which Beast Boy reacted pleasingly and confidently.

It appeared that Beast Boy had taken Raven's advise for she felt minty freshness on her tongue as she kissed him.

When they separated, both of them had smiles.

"I at least have two to match us now."


	4. An Enchantress's Poem

Hopefully this is not too cheesy, this was pretty rushed. I would make a depressing poem and that would fit more, but this was the idea that inspired me most at the time of typing this. Maybe next time. =) It might also be too brief, but like I said, it was rushed writing. I hope you will enjoy reading nonetheless. =)

**A**n enchantress of dark shadows  
**Z**ealous are the people  
**A**t the sight of the heroine  
**R**aven  
**A**gile and swift  
**T**he sorceress's thrift  
**H**andling safe haven

**M**alice yet grace  
**E**ntrances her face  
**T**raced however with dejection  
**R**aven  
**I**n love because of a changeling  
**O**ne-sided loving  
**N**ot likely a two-way attraction

**Z**oom into the future  
**I**n Jump City's center  
**N**ot a soul unsought  
**T**hey tie the knot  
**H**appily ever after  
**O**ne way or another  
**S**weet Raven and Beast Boy together forever


	5. You Belong With Me

"Raven, encase it!"

The dark enchantress did as she was instructed by the Teen Titans leader. The white creature that the four worldwide-known local heroes had been trying to capture for days was swiftly escaping Raven's dark telekinetic powers, which add fuel to Raven's fiery temper.

"It not staying put is making me testy, Robin. It's too fast, I can't catch it," Raven said, giving up after her fifteenth try.

"Robin, shall we contact our friends for assistance?" Starfire asked from behind Robin.

"I don't want to bother the Honorary Titans, Star. They just left our tower days before. Besides, I know we five can stop it, if only Beast Boy were here."

"Speaking of BB, where is he?" Cyborg asked.

"Cyborg, watch out!" shouted two voices in unison, both raspy and urgent of different genders.

Raven was about to use her magic to push the monster that was trying to attack Cyborg from behind, but instantly stopped at the sight of a green rhinoceros ambushing it out of the way.

"Beast Boy! It's about time my friend!" Starfire exclaimed gleefully, shooting a meter up out of excitement.

"I'm sorry I'm late, guys!" Beast Boy apologized. "Like I said, I needed to talk to Terra."

"Never mind Terra, the monster's getting away," Raven notified the team. Sure enough, it was going for the exit.

The team tried to chase it, the flying females taking the lead. Unfortunately, it was too fast for them and disappeared - or adapted - into the surroundings.

Robin let out a frustrated yell at the loss.

"Do not fret, Robin, like times before it will return," Starfire assured Robin, confident the creature will go back in sight.

"Let's just get back home," Raven said disinterestedly, hovering towards where the Titans Tower was, Cyborg and Beast Boy behind her, and Starfire and Robin behind them.

"By the way, B, thanks for the heads up," Cyborg told Beast Boy. Ego inflated, the changeling upped his chest and flexed his muscles as he walked.

"No big deal, tin can," Beast Boy said.

"Still, I owe you one."

Beast Boy seemed to consider the offer, for he looked thoughtfully at the sky.

"I may have one request," Beast Boy said articulately. "It's about Terra."

Raven's ears perked up like a dog hearing something out of the usual or something worth paying attention to.

"Of course, my man!" Cyborg said gladly.

Beast Boy smiled and continued, "I'm sure she's denying the fact she remembers us. I want that out of her."

"So what do you want me to do?" Cyborg asked, sensing Beast Boy's dubiousness.

"Something that can make her denial invalid. A truth detector or something!"

Raven halted and turned around to speak her mind, flying backwards.

"Beast Boy, that's not a nice thing to do," she said. "And it's called a lie detector, not a truth detector."

"But I need her to tell the truth, Raven."

"It's her choice whether she wants to remember, Beast Boy."

"Wow, Raven, you sounded like that Slade-bot I met while trying to talk to Terra," Beast Boy retorted. "If there's a reason she's pretending to forget, I want her to know that it's okay and we'll welcome her back with open arms!"

"Slade-bot?" Raven asked for a second but quickly dismissed it because she thought the Terra topic was more important. "It's just wrong, Beast Boy. We all know you want, if anything, her back in the team with you."

"So what? I want her back! I want her to fight for Jump City! I want to be with her, that's definite! I care for her!"

"Why?" Raven asked. 'You're being too persistent."

"And you're caring too much about this!" Beast Boy snapped. "Terra's possibly alive again, and you're unaffected!"

"I can say the same for the rest of the team."

"Guys, don't go too far..." Cyborg told them, but it was mute in the arguing couple's minds.

"We have to try all we can to get her back!" Beast Boy argued.

Raven rolled her eyes. "And what if she really doesn't want to be back? You'd be risking her the chance to live a life as an ordinary schoolgirl. What if that's what she wants?"

"But she loved being a hero!"

"You have to move on, Beast Boy! Face it, deal with it, move on!"

"But I love Terra!"

Raven stopped in her tracks, causing a chain reaction of the others stopping.

"Uh ... is there a problem?" Robin asked, oblivious to the fight that had been happening a suitable distance in front of him and Starfire. Cyborg, however, had seemed to shrunk each time the fight got more gruesome.

"It's nothing," Raven replied. "I'm going ahead." With that, she encircled herself in a ring of dark circles and vanished in front of the team, teleported back into her room.

In her room, Raven was struggling to keep her emotions in check. It was erupting with feelings; hate, anger, confusion, curiosity, jealousy, and ... love?

"She's not the one, Beast Boy," she whispered softly but spoke in a tone as if Beast Boy could hear her.

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset_  
_She's going off about somethin' that you said_  
_'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do_

Raven thought listening to her favorite songs would ease up the tension in her emotional head. She played the mini-radio lying under her bed and it sang melodic yet depressing.

However, that didn't seem to work so much. Instead, a song that quite perfectly fit her situation was playing in her head and as emotionally charged that song let out, her head followed suit.

"I know you better than she does," she muttered, sitting on her bed. "But ..."

_I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night_  
_I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like_  
_And she'll never know your story like I do_

"... why does he have to like her? She laughs at his jokes, that's nice. But she also broke his heart. Twice. Maybe three times."

She moved herself to the center of the bed and sat in lotus position. It seemed automatic, but the process stopped at the part where she was supposed to meditate. She couldn't, she had too much in her mind, but only one issue.

"At least I managed to make up to him after arguments."

_But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts_  
_She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers_  
_Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find_  
_That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

Raven shook her head and sighed. "My jealousy is getting out of hand. Azarath Metion Zinthos ... "

Trying to chant her mantra was a mistake; her light bulb exploded and fell on her. She flew out of the bed in surprise and landed on the ground, breathing heavily in an attempt to relax.

"I know you more, Beast Boy, and what I offer more to you than Terra ever will is that I am afraid to hurt you, because I love you more. If only your incompetent brain could understand that."

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_  
_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_  
_You belong with me, you belong with me_

Raven sensed that the main entrance of the tower opened and knew that her teammates had arrived back home.

"I need a drink," Raven told herself and decided to make her way to the kitchen to make her herbal tea.

It was another mistake. She saw Beast Boy still conversing with Cyborg regarding Terra.

"She goes to Murakami High," Beast Boy told the cybernetic man. "We can do it after school."

Raven tried to calm down and ignore the two, but it seemed automatic that all of Beast Boy's words would enter her mind and annoy her emotions like how Beast Boy himself would annoy her whole self.

Raven stole glances at the green teen. She wanted to tell him what she felt for him, but he was so focused on Terra that he wouldn't understand Raven if she told him 'I love you'.

_It's so easy to look at him and fall in love,_ she thought,_ and it's almost natural for me to be straightforwardly honest with him, except when it comes to those three words._

She could feel her rage boiling up at herself.

_Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans_  
_I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be_  
_Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself_  
_Hey, isn't this easy?_

Beast Boy noticed that Raven was staring at him, causing the latter to look away immediately.

"Hey, Rae, you okay?" Beast Boy asked, sincerely concerned.

"Y-yeah," Raven mumbled, pulling up her hood. "I'm fine now." For good measure, she added, "Don't call me Rae."

Beast Boy smiled, fang stuck out, and happily said, "That's good, Raven!"

Raven blushed and quickly turned away from the green teen and to her tea. "I know."

She heard Beast Boy back in conversation about Terra and she sighed.

_When will you ever give up?_ she told Beast Boy mentally, which of course Beast Boy did not receive the message. _She's not going to make you feel better for long._

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town_  
_I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down_  
_You say you're fine, I know you better than that_  
_Hey, what ya doing with a girl like that?_

Raven took her tea and was making her way to the Main Ops room, her thoughts talking to her subconsciousness.

_She may be prettier than me, more outgoing than me, more playful than me, more beautiful than me, and she's not a wallflower like me and not creepy like me, but at least I understand you more. I know how you feel, and it's not because of my powers. I feel like myself around you, and I feel you do too, because I'm sarcastic and monotone and you're childish and a try-hard joker. It's me you should love._

Raven took a seat on the couch. Alone, she absentmindedly stared at the TV screen and continued her train of thought.

_She wears high heels, I wear sneakers_  
_She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers_  
_Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find_  
_That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

_Beast Boy, as ever you are so annoying._

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_  
_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_  
_You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door_  
_All this time how could you not know?_  
_Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me_

_We've had times together than we should cherish. Memories that we could cherish only if we end up together, both good and bad, which is comparatively better than cherishing and sharing good memories only, like you've done with Terra. You're living a fantasy, but love should be real, I can make this real to you. I've proven to you. That time we shared in my mind, on the shore, outside my room._

_Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night_  
_I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry_  
_I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams_  
_Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me_

Then, subconsciously, the song that Raven had been inwardly playing on repeat suddenly escaped her throat through her vocal chords and out of her mouth. She started singing without her permission and without her noticing.

_"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?_  
_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_  
_You belong with me"_

Beast Boy, with his beastly sense of hearing, could hear a low tuneful murmur coming from the Main Ops room. It sounded like Raven's voice, which pumped up his curiosity. He tiptoed to said room to confirm his theory; that Rave was actually singing.

_"Standing by and waiting at your back door_  
_All this time, how could you not know?_  
_Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me"_

Beast Boy arrived at the Main Ops room and he was right. There was Raven, on the couch, singing quietly. It was the first time Beast Boy ever heard her sing, and he had to admit for someone quiet she was quite a singer.

He wanted to know what song she was singing and when he realized what it was, it only made him more perplexed.

_Why is Raven singing a love song?_ Beast Boy wondered.

_"Beast Boy, you belong with me_  
_Have you ever thought just maybe_  
_You belong with me?_  
_Beast Boy, you belong with me"_

Raven's extemporaneous singing stopped for a moment. She was about to restart but a soothing voice, at least to her ears, clicked her back to total control of her vocals.

"'Beast Boy, you belong with me'?" Beast Boy repeated curiously. "Rae, what is this about?"

Raven, wide-eyed, spun around to see Beast Boy near her. She moved so fast that her hood fell down, and it was so sudden that she blushed hard for Beast Boy to see.

"Uh ..."

"You basically said you love me," Beast Boy said, answering his question for her. "Don't lie to me, Rae. I got a woman possibly already doing that."

Raven sighed in defeat. The secret would finally be out.

"Yes, Beast Boy, I love you." Raven tried to sound stable, but her voice was shaky from the nerves anyway.

Beast Boy's consistent silence but attentive eyes told Raven to continue. She tensed up, but then relaxed as she elaborated.

"I love you, Beast Boy. I really don't know when, unsure if it's before or after Terra came, but I love you. That's why I keep questioning your desire to get Terra back. It wasn't intentional, it was natural, and it was because I was jealous. I jealous that she gets your attention. Not your full attention, but that part of your attention that I want to be for me instead. Even if Terra doesn't want to come back to us, you still focus on her as if she had your soul when her own turned to stone with her body. I think, no, I believe, that I'm at my best, at my fullest living, when I'm spending moments with you. Not as friends, I came to realize. Beast Boy, I don't know if it'll ever happen, but I want to be with you. I want to belong with you. You belong with me."

Raven and Beast Boy locked eyes, because it seemed to be the only appropriate action after such a long heartfelt speech on an emotional subject.

Beast Boy sighed and Raven could not tell if it had a good or bad connotation. She held her breath until he spoke.

"Raven, if that's the case, I guess I need to cancel that plan with Cyborg," he said.

Raven raised an eyebrow. Out of everything he could have said at that moment, acceptance or rejection, it had to be that. "Why?"

Beast Boy gave his heart-melting grin and winked at her. "Because we'll be on a date at that time."

Raven flushed red. "A-are you serious?"

"Trigon-dead serious."

Raven smiled at his reply, finding it cute. "If I knew it was that easy, I'd tell you I love you long time ago."

"Nah, this was _the_ perfect opportunity, Rae."

Beast Boy walked to Raven and held out an arm.

"May I take you for a walk, milady?"

Raven almost giggled.

"Don't push it," she said monotonously before replying, with a tint more emotion, "But, of course, Beast Boy."

Raven gladly intertwined arms with her boyfriend and they walked proudly out of the Main Ops room. Her emotion-filled mind remained emotion-filled, but this time, they were more positive emotions, such as happiness, gladness, relief ... and love.


	6. Chirrup

One cheerful morning, the loving Teen Titans were hanging out in their headquarters.

"Please, friend, what is that toy you are using? Does it have any functions? And why do you keep touching it?" Starfire asked Beast Boy, whose fingers were fumbling on an electronic device.

"It's a mobile phone, Star," Beast Boy told her as he made himself comfortable on the couch. "Robin assigned us with one as a present from the shop owner we saved the other day. He figured we could use it whenever we're bored and he trusts that we won't use it too much. Didn't he give you one?"

Starfire balanced her head on her pointer finger and gave Beast Boy a confused look.

"The last item Robin handed to me was a pink metal container that had strings and minuscule bolts stuck to it. I took them out though, but the container was not big enough to put anything I had in it."

"Uh..." Beast Boy found Starfire's naivety adorable, but sometimes he wished she would ask an Earthling what to do with certain items. He didn't state his opinion to her because it would make it invalid, for he himself was technically-challenged, but his problem with Starfire was more of a cultural difference.

"May I know what is a mobile phone?" Starfire asked.

"Sure," Beast Boy properly sat up and showed Starfire what he had been doing. Starfire took a closer look and read the name of the application.

"Chirrup?"

"It's a social networking site," Beast Boy told her.

"Oh, that sounds sociable indeed!" Starfire exclaimed excitedly. "That image above the text, I presume is called the logo, of a squirrel is so cute!"

Beast Boy suddenly screamed. Starfire looked up from the phone to see that Raven had appeared nearby. The dark energy scared Beast Boy and sent him jumping up.

"Raven!"

"What?" Raven asked nonchalantly.

"Can't you walk in next time?"

"No," Raven made herself comfortable on the spot Beast Boy was in. On one of her hands was a mug of tea, on the other a purple phone.

"Oh, you are using such wonderful high-technological tool too!" Starfire squealed. "And Chirrup!"

"Wait, Raven has a Chirrup account?" Beast Boy asked, bewilderment replaced by another type of shock.

"Yeah, so what?" Raven deadpanned, still focused on her phone.

"Why?"

"People post good depressing poems here," Raven stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's a lot more convenient."

"Aren't you against using electronics for leisure purposes?" Starfire asked.

"I know they rot your brains, and that's why I don't use this much," Raven said before continuing with her Chirrup time.

"What's your Chirrup account?" Beast Boy asked.

"It is 'ttazarath'."

"Cool! I'll 'Observe' you and 'Cheer up' your page!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I'm 'changelingbbr'!"

"I'm astounded," Raven said sarcastically.

"You guys must be having the fun!" Starfire said giddily. She couldn't see what each of them were doing on their screens, but it looked like something worth paying attention to. "Perhaps I will later ask Cyborg to repair my phone of mobility!"

"There, I cheered you!" Beast Boy announced, to Raven's sarcastic joy.

"Great, can you stop virtually disturbing me now?"

"Oooooookay..."

"I was curious about those tabs that looked like buttons on my phone. I thought they were dents, so I put tape on them," Starfire said.

"You really need Cyborg to fix it, then," Raven said.

"Indeed!"

"Now, if that's fine with you, I'd like to get back - Beast Boy!"

The page with poems on Raven's phone had been replaced by a message board.

_Hiiiiiiiii rae!_ - Beast Boy (changelingbbr)

Raven sighed. She could hear Beast Boy chuckling in front of her. She decided to retort back the same way.

_Don't call me 'Rae', even online._ - Raven (ttazarath)

_im bord_ - Beast Boy

_I'd appreciate it if you would improve your typing. That includes grammar, spelling and punctuation._ - Raven

Raven closed the message tab, only to have another message pop up a second later.

_bUT i M bOoooooaRd_ - Beast Boy

_You are butchering the board with your chat-speak!_

_Besides, if you are bored, you should either stop messaging me and do something else on Chirrup OR get out of your phone!_ - Raven

_i want 2 practise talking here_ - Beast Boy

_*sighs* Fine! But only if you write correctly._ - Raven

_Okay, Raven._ - Beast Boy

_Good._

_Now what?_ - Raven

_What do you do on Chirrup besides reading depressing poems?_ - Beast Boy

_Read._ - Raven

_Wow, even on the Internet you're such a bore._ - Beast Boy

_STHU._ - Raven

_Who's using chat-speak now?_ - Beast boy

_That's an abbreviation, a little more formal than chat-speak. Stop interrupting me, Beast Boy._ - Raven

_Do you want to hear a joke?_ - Beast Boy

_You ask too many questions and give too few answers._

_NO! I don't want you to taint my online life with your horrible jokes!_ - Raven

_;_; _- Beast Boy

_Suits you right. _- Raven

_Nya nya!_ - Beast Boy

_Blasphemy!_ - Raven

_Wut?_ - Beast Boy

_Look it up on an online dictionary._

_Don't tell me you're too lazy to even do that. - _Raven

_I don't have to tell you, you already said it._

_Or typed it, whatevs._ - Beast Boy

_You got me there._ - Raven

_I'll always get you, Rae!_

_*-vann_

_*Raven! Stupid typos!_ - Beast Boy

_lol_ - Raven

_You are able to use that?!_ - Beast Boy

_Yeah, so?_ - Raven

_You're kewl & 1337 dude._ - Beast Boy

_Thank you._ - Raven

_So how's life?_ - Beast Boy

_Well._ - Raven

_Do you think Slade has a Chirrup account?_ - Beast Boy

_No, why would he?_ - Raven

_I think Speedy is dating Cheshire, what about you?_ - Beast Boy

_I think so._

_You didn't answer my Slade question, B.B._ - Raven

_How about Cyborg and Bumble - _Beast Boy

_Beast Boy!_ - Raven

_*-bee, I hate typos._ - Beast Boy

_Says the one who intentionally misspells!_ - Raven

_Very funny, Raven. Wanna here another joke?_ - Beast Boy

_No! You ask too many questions!_ - Raven

_Why don't you ask one?_ - Beast Boy

_*dies inside* Ugh..._

_Fine..._ - Raven

_yay =)_ - Beast Boy

_In your username, 'changelingbbr', I know where 'changeling' and 'bb' come from. What's the 'r'? Is it your middle name? I know it's not your name because your name is Garfield. rofl Garfield._ - Raven

_/lmao/ no. I don't have a middle name. Guess!_ - Beast Boy

_It's ambiguous, BB, there can be billions of possibilities, endless even._

_Well?_

_I'm not playing your stupid guessing game if that's what you're waiting for._ - Raven

_I'll give you three hints!_ - Beast Boy

_I can go with that._ - Raven

_This 'r' is_:

_1. Enchanting_

_2. Sturdy_

_3. Beautiful and sexy!_ - Beast Boy

_Those hints are just as ambiguous as the hidden word itself!_

_Just tell me already!_ - Raven

_She's all I ever wanted. She's already close to me, but I want to be even closer._ - Beast Boy

_I honestly don't know what you're talking about anymore, as if I did before, but more than before if you get what I mean!_ - Raven

_It should be pretty obvious. Put your phone down and look up._ - Beast Boy

After Raven interpreted Beast Boy's last post, she did as instructed. She placed her phone on her lap and looked up to meet Beast Boy's grinning face, millimeters away from hers.

It then clicked to her. That 'r' stood for her. Raven. It clicked with his hints. She wouldn't be on the top ten of her guesses, but it still made sense. She was enchanting because she had magical powers, she had a sturdy personality as a dark sorceress and as a serious heroine.

And she was beautiful and sexy? Beast Boy wanted her closer to him, even though they were already close?

Raven's realization was confirmed when Beast Boy leaned closer to her, lips locking. To be honest, she leaned closer herself. There seemed to be some natural attraction from her to him all along.

Raven could feel her stomach fluttering at the kiss. She had to admit, he was a really excellent kisser and it was probably his first time.

Beast Boy settled his hands on Raven's waist in a comfortable pose. He had to make out as much as he could of the monumental moment. He was surprised she had accepted his lips on hers. It was an awesome surprise, in his opinion. She and her mouth were indeed enchanting, sturdy, beautiful and sexy.

He was about to heat up the moment, but a redheaded alien, who the couple had forgotten had been with them all that time, disrupted them both.

"Friends, this is so sweet and loving! I never knew you had the affection for one another! This is simply glorious!"

**(Author's Note: Chirrup is my parody of Twitter, 'Observe' & 'Cheer up' are the non-existent equivalents to 'Follow' & 'Like'! I hope this fanfic of mine, using that 'chat format' that is not highly favored because of its simplicity, has maintained its own uniqueness among the standards.)**


	7. Wicked

**(Author's Note: I do not own the Big Apple, New York, New York City, Madison Square Garden, Gershwin Theater, Wicked, Elphaba Thropp, OR the Teen Titans! ESPECIALLY the Teen Titans! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do though! ^_^)**

"Why are we here again?"

The dark enchantress slumped herself on her seat in her sector of the T-ship, staring at the skyscrapers underneath her and the rest of her friends.

"Because I said so!" Beast Boy boasted through the communicator.

"Thanks a lot," Raven said with obvious sarcasm that somehow Beast Boy still could not identify.

"Anytime, Raven!"

Raven sighed and just... stared.

"Actually, Beast Boy, this plan was supposed to be for Star and I only," Robin popped into the conversation. "But you just nagged your way into it and got Cyborg and Raven along for the ride."

"Oh, but wouldn't it be joyous, Robin?" Starfire said cheerily. "Like your earthly sayings go, the merrier the more!"

"The more the merrier," Cyborg corrected. "But I have to agree with Robin, Starfire. The purpose of you two going to New York alone is for a different purpose from all five of us going."

"But why must it be only me and my boyfriend? The jungle of concrete is a must-see for anyone! May anyone tell me if the monkeys in this man-made jungle are man-made too?"

"You could say that," Raven deadpanned.

"We're here, y'all!" Cyborg announced. "Get ready to land!"

"What are we doing here anyway?" Raven asked once they all got out of the T-ship.

"It was originally a one-day thing. We planned on spending the day exploring NYC, and in the evening we thought we could watch a Broadway music followed by dinner at a restaurant. Your paying yourselves, though. I'll pay for myself and Star."

"Alright, count me in!" Beast Boy shouted.

Raven slapped him at his insincerity. "It's because of you Star and Robin have to share their date with us!"

"It was a date?"

"A date?" Starfire repeated Beast Boy, making Robin, Raven and Cyborg hit their own faces.

"Let's just get it started?" Robin stated questioningly.

"Indubitably!"

The Teen Titans roamed around the bustling city. Since it was such a hustle and bustle, there really wasn't much space to move around! After hours of activities, they rested in Madison Square Garden.

"Wasn't it fun, friends?!" Starfire asked energetically.

"If you count all the pushing and insults," Raven said, still bored. "New Yorkers must really not be fond of us, since they call us freaks and weirdos and all."

"They're just businessmen, mainly," Cyborg said. "They probably don't know or didn't recognize us. But that doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun and chill!"

"Yeah, Raven, you should totally join them," Beast Boy joked. Raven only had to glare at him for him to shut up.

"Sorry," Beast Boy apologized. He looked around and picked up a flower. He handed the pink orchid to her. "Accept it?"

Raven almost blushed as she took the flower. "You do know it's not legal, right?"

"It isn't? Put it back!"

Raven rolled her eyes. She thought they were having a moment. Then again, she told him about the regulations, so it was half her fault.

At the evening, the team went to the Gershwin Theater to watch a Broadway musical.

"What musical are we watching?" Cyborg asked.

"Wicked," Robin answered.

"Wicked? As in the horror movie film?" Beast Boy asked ecstatically.

"No. As in a music-filled show about a witch in the land of Oz," Raven retorted as she took her seat, Beast Boy beside her, Robin beside him, Starfire beside him and Cyborg beside her.

"It's starting! It's starting!" Starfire shouted gleefully. Some audience members hushed her, so she held onto Robin, which was more than fine by him.

As the musical went on and the main character, Elphaba Thropp, entered the scene and indirectly introduced herself to the audience and to the team, Raven could not help but notice some resemblance. Some coincidental resemblance.

The witch had green skin. She was an outcast yet the main character. She was despised yet held a lot of love and care and determination. She had beautiful features yet the Ozians basically called her ugly and filthy. She was strong-minded yet very vulnerable. She was the hero yet dubbed the villain. Raven could not help but integrate her own life story into the fictitious staged show save for the singing.

Raven glanced at her teammates, and found that only Cyborg had fallen asleep. Beast Boy noticed her turn and checked on her. She immediately forced her head back to the front, sweat dropping from her forehead.

She further observed Elphaba. A witch. Raven was a witch, a sorceress, an enchantress, practically the same in her world. Both women took the demeanor of a villain but had the heart of an ordinary girl if not a heroine. Elphaba was also green-skinned. Beast Boy was green-skinned. Raven did not know how Elphaba got her green skin from, but definitely was underestimated like Beast Boy.

Raven thought that if she and Beast Boy were to have a child, specifically a daughter, she would look like Elphaba Thropp. Raven could see her child defying gravity from the people that wanted to bring her down. She saw her daughter fly on a broomstick with the help of a popular and skilled princess-like girl, perhaps a daughter of Robin and Starfire.

Raven realized that the first act ended after Elphaba's famous melodic yell. It was enough for her to shake her thoughts out of her.

"That was wonderful!" Starfire shouted and applauded with the rest of the audience.

"What? Did I miss something?" Cyborg said, woken up by the thundering claps.

"What do you think, Raven?" Beast Boy said. "The second act's coming up, should be exciting! It was awesome, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess," Raven said, trying to get to her senses. "I mean, Elphaba, she's nice and all, she just kind of resembled... uh, never mind."

"Resembled? What? Who?" Beast Boy pondered excitedly. He obviously enjoyed the musical, to Raven's surprise. She found it quite adorable.

She was wondering if she should say it, and decided to play mellow.

"You know, she's a witch, and she has green skin? Doesn't that ring any bells?"

"You're thinking she reminds you of us together, right?" Beast Boy asked casually as if he had already noticed it.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Raven asked, startled.

Beast Boy smiled arrogantly. "I was hoping you would say that."

Raven blushed. What does that mean?

"If we were to have a daughter, she would look like her," Raven said subconsciously. She inwardly cursed at herself, but she could not do much about it now that it was out in the open.

Beast Boy held Raven's hand. Raven was about to pull away, but he tightened the grip enough to stop her from doing so.

"I was hoping you'd say that too. Quite a nice possibility, right?"

Raven blushed furiously and smiled at him. "Yeah."

As the two kept their hands held and the second act was still about to begin, Raven quickly faced Beast Boy and added.

"Beast Boy, now that we're official, you're paying for my dinner."


	8. You Think I'm Funny?

"Beast Boy," Robin spoke.

"Yes?"

Beast Boy was squeezing the uncooked tofu eggs from the plastic case while Robin sat beside the oven, waiting for the timer to run out so that he could remove its meaty content.

"It's been a year since Terra left us," Robin began. Beast Boy shifted from his spot. He inwardly claimed that he wouldn't be affected by that special heart-breaking noun, but apparently he had lied to himself. Robin noticed the diminutive movement and knew that Beast Boy was feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Do you still want to keep the topic unsaid?"

"Actually, no," Beast Boy replied. "I have to face the fact she's gone. Well, she's not gone, but she's... gone. Uh, I mean, she's not here, even though she's still here in Jump City. Okay, wait, let me explain it more clearly. She is -"

"I get it, Beast Boy," Robin interrupted. "I agree, you have to move on. Job-wise, having that distraction is not good, trust me." Of course, Robin was referring to himself and his attraction for Starfire, but he didn't anyone to know of that... yet. Unfortunately for him, Beast Boy knew what he was inclining, but wasn't in the mood to tease. After all, he was the one suffering depression.

"She was just the one I thought was for me, and it still seemed like that," Beast Boy said solemnly. Robin instantly assumed the role of the best friend and the therapist and intently listened in.

"Beast Boy, if your number one is gone," Robin told the green teammate articulately, "number two will take its place. That's why there's that phrase 'move on'. If we don't have that, we don't have this."

"What?"

"I guess articulation doesn't work on you. What I mean is that now that Terra's 'gone', there's someone new for you."

"Maybe, but that means I have to work on finding someone like her."

"I'm not a love adviser, but I can tell you one thing," Robin said, feeling like cupid at the moment. "Love does not take effort until it becomes either true or mutual. Do you understand what I mean?"

Beast Boy heaved a sigh. "Surprisingly, yes. Kind of, maybe."

"I'm not going to help you find a new girl, but I'm curious, when does the attraction for Terra begin?"

"Oh," Beast Boy was feeling uncomfortable, but a part of him strongly wanted to express it, so he did. "At first, I thought she was just cute, like most other cute girls. But when we talked, and when she especially laughed at one of my jokes, it sparked."

"So... you like women who laugh at your jokes?"

"Just once, no matter if they hate some afterwards."

"Didn't Raven used to think you were funny?"

"Dude, how did Raven get into this conversation?"

"But she did thought you were funny. And then you made that face and said you wanted to tell more jokes."

"I did, didn't I?" Beast Boy started to blush. "Don't tell anyone, Robin, but back then, after that, I had a crush on her."

Robin wasn't drinking anything, but he spat at the news. "You did?!"

Beast Boy's blush heated up. "So what?!"

"You still do!"

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm a detective, remember?" Robin never observed him and Raven until that very instant. Considering Beast Boy's antics and the way he treated Raven differently from the rest of the team. "Funny, I only realized now."

"Ugh!" Beast Boy was blushing more and more. "If you tell anyone about that, I'll tell them about your crush on Star!"

"What?!" Robin was shocked. Was it that obvious?

"It's very obvious! From the very beginning, ever since she kissed you, in fact," Beast Boy boasted.

Robin sighed in defeat. "Deal."

"Robin won't have to tell anyone, Beast Boy."

Robin and Beast Boy stared at each other, wide-eyed. The timer rang, signalling that the chicken had been roasted, but Robin didn't pay attention to that.

They heard Raven's voice and looked at that direction. Sure enough, Raven stood before them.

"My life is over," Beast Boy said dreadfully. He still liked Raven, but he was certain she didn't like him back. When Terra was his number one, Raven was unwillingly his number two. Just when he thought Raven had moved back up the rank, she dropped was into the abyss, no chance.

Robin found himself in an awkward situation, and stealthily hid behind some furniture.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I just screwed up any chances of being your boyfriend, Raven. That must be the worst confession ever, even beat out the time I asked Terra out on a date."

"That's offensive. Why would you think that?"

"You don't think I'm funny. Anymore, at least. I thought you liked me, I mean like-liked me, but that was before."

Raven sighed. "Do you remember that time when you and Cyborg were in my mind?"

"Uh... yes?"

"My happy side told you that I always thought you were funny."

"So... you lied when you said my jokes were lame?"

"They are lame, that's what's so funny about them sometimes. I remembered that when you were in my happy mind, my real body just bust into freaky laughter. I was that happy you were in it. Of course, I was also mad."

"So... you still think I'm funny?"

Raven smiled. "Only if you still like-like people who think you're funny."


	9. Debate

"May this discussion commence."

"What's this all about, Robin? Seriously, why are we in the interrogation room? And why aren't B.B. and Raven here?"

"I was just getting to the reason I brought you both here, Cyborg."

"I'm sorry if I seem to be off the topic, but should we not partake in the snack eatery? I have baked Tamaranean pastries."

"Eh, no thanks, Star-"

"Are you out of your stinkin' mind, Robin?! Of course, Star! Bring 'em in!"

"Glorious! I shall fetch them!"

"No! This is important!"

"But, Robin, if it is so important, why haven't you told us what the matter is earlier? Why must we be confined here?"

"This is regarding Beast Boy and Raven and their new relationship."

"What, their dating relationship?"

"Yes. I'm not saying I'm uncomfortable with 'em two, but I need to make sure that their relationship won't get in the way of work."

"But Beast Boy and Raven are most delightful together! I see no harm!"

"Yeah, man! They've been dating a week and nothing's gone wrong. Personally, I like the idea of string bean with Raven. I've seen the two have their moments, once in Raven's mind, once outside Raven's room, and maybe at least a couple more I can think of right now. But anyway, I think Beast Boy really loves Raven, now more than ever ever since she confessed to him, about time to!"

"But maybe long-term something will happen. They may have their romantic moments, but they've had bad ones too."

"That's the most natural part in any relationship, Robin!"

"I agree with Cyborg. Back in Tamaran, such boisterous expressions are effective ways of showing honesty to the person. It is sweet that the two constantly show that to each other. It's vital in a couple's communication system, yes?"

"Well, y-yeah, but I'm not taking any chances."

"Okay, man, what's the deal? Haven't you learned anything from what happened between you and Star in Tokyo?"

"Uh..."

"Robin, why are you turning red?"

"Teehee!"

"Shut up, Cyborg!"

"But, in all seriousness man, you must realize how powerful true love can be. It can lead to many positive qualities to be developed. Beast Boy is not a - ironically - boy anymore, or at least he shouldn't be. Love can teach a person to be stronger, to be a leader and a follower _at the same time_. Love can make a person wiser, work harder, a better person. And don't tell me you're doubting that Beast Boy and Raven's love, who no one ever expected to work out but it did, is true."

"I agree with Cyborg, Robin! Their love is truer than true and even I am jealous!"

"Okay, so... Starfire... uh... well... Cyborg... I... hm... so... Who wants to plan for a celebration of them being in love for one week?"


	10. Begin Again

**(Author's Note: This is one of Taylor Swift's new songs Begin Again. I want to test out how my writing is when I have a fresh inspiration from something fresh. So this was made right after I heard that song (just a few minutes ago). I just wanted to, I feel it and could relate it to a BBRae fanfic! I hope you enjoy! And please review ^_^)**

_Took a deep breath in the mirror_  
_You didn't like it when I wore high heels_  
_But I do_

"When will you stop annoying me, Beast Boy?! I told you, I don't want to have anything to do with you and your team of superhero friends anymore! I don't know who Terra and why I resemble her but that's not me! I like the way I am now! You don't like it, tough luck."

Terra, or so Beast Boy thought, stormed out of the school and retreated from Beast Boy to her huddle of female friends.

Beast Boy dejectedly kicked a stray plastic bottle and walked back home. He had been trying to reconnect to Terra, he knew it was her, but she just wouldn't open up. And the more he tried to convince her to rejoin the Teen Titans, the more he felt hopeless.

_Turn the lock and put my headphones on  
He always said he didn't get this song  
But I do, I do_

"Have you even listened to show-tunes before?"

"Ugh. No, and I don't plan on ever under my freewill."

Raven and her gothic boyfriend were having an 'argument' in the library. Raven initiated the topic on their favorite types of music and it just 'escalated' into disagreements. They may not be shouting or showing any changes in facial expressions, but they were definitely feeling like they were drifting apart.

"I don't like your type of music," he said.

"You're very kind," she said. Finally, she had enough. "I'm going home."

Her boyfriend stood up before her and offered to take her home.

"No thanks, I got it," Raven said before teleporting out of the library.

Inwardly, Raven was wondering why the heck did she let her heart get attracted to that emo anyway. They had zero chemistry. None at all.

Then, she realized that it was not her heart that magnetized her to him; it was her logic. The first time they met in the club, where she and he were out of their comfort zone, it just seemed like they were typically made for each other. Add to the fact her hidden desperation to be with someone romantically probably pushed her to ask him out on a date. Of course, she didn't show any sign of emotion when she asked.

She planned on never seeing him again, though, or at least going on a date with him. It was a sad idea and thought, but better than staying with him and not living happily and honestly.

_Walked in expecting you'd be lat_e  
_But you got here early and you stand and wait  
I walked to you_

"Sorry I'm late, I actually thought I was early," Raven said. "You're uncharacteristically early."

"Thank you," Beast Boy said. "I'm unchart-dsjlkf-ly early just for you!"

Beast Boy flashed a grin, which made Raven forgive him and a bit more.

"You're smile is so adorable," she said. "Hopefully, this date's better than last week with that Goth Boy."

Beast Boy chuckled as he held her hand. Raven could feel him shaking a bit out of nervousness. He said, "I'll try my best."

He then opened the door of the cafe and let her in first.

"After you, milady!"

_You pulled my chair out and helped me in_  
_And you don't know how nice that is_  
_But I do_

"After you, my sweet, lovely Raven," Beast Boy said, pulling a chair for Raven to sit on, making her smile.

She did not know what she got herself into. All she knew was that, in one day, which was the day before their date, they were doing a team mission together in their assigned sectors. They were their usual contradictory selves until Beast Boy brought up Terra, and then Raven brought up her ex-boyfriend, and then their conversation became a lot of subtle and genuine, and went on from there.

"And may I help you take your seat?" Raven asked, using her telekinetic powers to pull the chair opposite her.

"Why, how kind of you, dear."

_And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid_  
_I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did_  
_I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does_  
_Is break and burn and end_  
_But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again_

Raven was laughing more than she ever had.

"See! I know I'm funny and you do too!" Beast Boy pointed out ecstatically, feeling triumphant that he could make Raven _finally _laugh.

"I think it's because of this new relationship," Raven said.

"I hope so. I've never seen a funnier and cuter smile than yours, Rae."

Raven looked up at a very happy Beast Boy. It was a new kind of happy, she noticed. It was like how a loving man would smile at an adorable infant, but only it was at a teenage woman. She blushed and pulled her hood up. "Don't call me Rae. Not yet, at least."

"Why did you pull your hood up? I like it way better down."

Raven continued to look into his eyes, this time they were pleading puppy-like. Raven sighed, and pulled her hood down. Beast Boy could just marvel at her gorgeous face graciously radiating sheer beauty into the quiet cafe. It was a cafe that was meant to give off a depressing atmosphere, but neither of them felt that one bit.

_You said you never met one girl_  
_Who has as many James Taylor records as you_  
_But I do_  
_We tell stories and you don't know why I'm coming off a little shy_  
_But I do_

"Whoa, you listen to songs that are very, _very_ depressing?" Raven said in awe.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"I would never expect it!" Raven shouted excitedly, which freaked even Beast Boy out.

"I get upset too, you know," Beast Boy said. "But enough about me! I want to learn more about what you do when you're alone. Besides meditating and reading, of course."

"Well, I-" Raven began, but trailed off. She didn't know what to say. True, most of her alone time was spent doing the activities Beast Boy mentioned, but she did other things too. For one, she liked making herself look pretty in front of the mirror. She wasn't sure how to say it in a way that would not embarrass her, though.

"What's wrong?" Beast Boy asked, concerned when he noticed Raven going silent. "Don't be shy, we're together now. You're not alone, remember that. I'm right here with you."

Raven saw Beast Boy's grin and heard his sincere voice, and those were enough to get her talking.

_But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid_  
_I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did_  
_I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does_  
_Is break and burn and end_  
_But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again_

"It's a Wednesday night, folks, so we're temporarily changing this depressing cafe to something worth celebrating about!" a voice suddenly boomed from the center of the cafe. Beast Boy and Raven turned back to see that there were three people dressed in flamboyant suits dancing and playing random music that made a few of the people laugh, but not enough to sufficiently flip the general mood.

"They're not that funny," Beast Boy commented, to which Raven agreed. He had a thought, then said, "I''ll help them!"

"Wait, Beast B-" Raven watched Beast Boy hop out of his chair and to the center as a green seal. He had displayed tricks with the help of the three men that had the crowd laughing and chanting, even Raven. Now and then, she could see a green animal winking right at her, and she would blush, knowing it was the same caring and loving Beast Boy.

She couldn't believe in admitting it, but she was enjoying her date with Beast Boy. She thought they had chemistry back at the mission, but she underestimated the extent of it. There was a lot more going on, and a lot deeper, perhaps deeper than love. She just knew it despite not having romantic relationships so frequently. It all felt so right, like the eight months or so of feeling unloved had been equalized and then overtaken by insurmountable amounts of love.

Beast Boy was having the time of his life making Raven smile and laugh. Seeing those curved up lips somehow gave him an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. He felt that, by doing it for her, he was doing it for himself and his destined and worthwhile duty in his life. He couldn't believe it, but he was falling in love with Raven. What he thought was just friendly camaraderie transformed to full-on romance.

Neither them expected love to be _that_ good.

_And we walked down the block to my car_  
_And I almost brought him up_  
_But you start to talk about the movies_  
_That your family watches every single Christmas_  
_And I won't talk about that_  
_For the first time, what's past is past_

"That was a great dinner, Beast Boy. I really had a splendid time with you," Raven said as she and Beast Boy intertwined elbows and walked on the paved cobblestones. They were walking back home.

"I agree. It was the best time I have ever had in my whole - entire - life," Beast Boy added cheerfully.

"I can't believe I ever even considered going out with that -" Raven was about to utter her ex's name, but stopped herself before she could. She thought that by doing it, it would make it awkward between them, and she didn't want that.

Beast Boy seemed to notice and reassured her, "Don't sweat it, Rae. I talk about Terra all the time. It's fine. It's a kind of failure, and failures happen in life."

Raven smiled at her new boyfriend's sweetness. "Call me Rae all you want, but only if I can call you Beastie Boo."

Beast Boy snorted, and Raven followed suit in the laughter.

"Say, _Rae_," Beast Boy then began, "do you want to, like when we arrive home, watch a movie? Alone and together?"

Raven grinned widely. "Indubitably."

_'Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid_  
_I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did_  
_I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does_  
_Is break and burn and end_  
_Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again_  
_Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again_


	11. Interview with Beast Boy Part I

"Welcome to JCV - Jump City Vision, which, ironically, has nothing to look at! We're just a radio station! But as we do here in JCV - let your vision be guided by what we say! This week, we're promoting an affiliate and possible sister-station of ours - RBB - preliminarily Radio Broadcasting Breakthrough for long."

A taped applauding noise sounded at the press of a button before the DJ continued.

"Today, we have an exciting visitor. He is known by many a Jump Citizen as a superhero, a member of the Teen Titans! Ladies and gents, may we introduce to you, the green teen fighting self-renown heartthrob... Beast Boy!"

"Hello, dudes and dudettes!" Beast Boy said as he spoke on the mic.,

"How are you today, B.B.?"

"I'm fine!"

"So, I was contemplating whether to have an introductory section for you, but since you're a well-known hero -"

"That's right!"

"- I decided to skip to the Q&A session! Our listeners have been requesting questions throughout the week."

"Here's an answer to what I know will be an FAQ; Yes, I know I'm good-looking, but now, I'm not single, I'm seeing this awesome lady!"

The DJ gave an audible gasp for sound effects before he said, "A rumor! Scandal! Propaganda! Shall we move on?"

"Of course, dude!"

"Okay, I have arranged the questions in chronological order of the time each referred event has happened, starting from the earliest, and they all seem to have a common trend, about one person other than you."

Beast Boy sighed in a way that one could not tell if it had a positive or negative connotation, "Yes, I'm ready."

"First question! How did you feel when Raven said she thought you were funny? Now, answer truly!"

Beast Boy blushed and thought he could get away with it. But he was mistaken. Though the people tuning in would not be able to see it, the DJ could.

"Well..."

"You're blushing!"

"What? No!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Answer the question!"

"Why do people want to know this stuff any-"

"ANSWER IT!" the DJ shouted, which made Beast Boy squeak and answer in one swift take.

"Happy, successful, victorious, giddy!"

"Good! Next question; People say you and Raven act like an old married couple, and there have been moments that displayed that. For example, Raven healed your pained knee after fighting the three H.I.V.E. graduates, and she also calmed you down from arguing with Cyborg after your loss. Would you say you and Raven are an old 'married' couple?"

"Is this other person you were talking about earlier Raven?!"

"Get on with it. Remember; honesty is the best policy. You're slithering around the question, so is that a yes?"

"No! I mean, we're not old! Why not emphasize that?"

"You're still beating around the bush, B.B."

Beast Boy sighed in frustration. "We may act like it, I understand. But that doesn't mean we're a couple!"

"Seems like it, folks!" the DJ told the audience, as if in declaration. He continued, "Question number three; Was it your plan to get Raven that giant chicken?"

Beast Boy sighed again and answered, "Since there's no use in escaping the truth, yes, I was the one that suggested Cyborg to get it for her."

"Why?"

"Because she's a friend and she didn't seem like she was having fun? I tried getting her on the Ferris wheel, but she phased out of it soon after. But I didn't want a friend down."

"A Ferris wheel, I see..."

"And what did you see?"

"And also, why a giant chicken?"

Beast Boy sounded aggravated in how the DJ seemed to left his own question unanswered, but he let it slide.

"That's a dumb question. That was the biggest prize."

"The biggest prize, huh? It must be really important to win that, I suppose."

"What are you trying to get to here?"

"Never mind, string bean, we're on to the next question, which is... Which part, or should we say emotion, of Raven do you like most? Happy, Timid, or Brave?"

"How do you even know Raven has different emotions in differently-colored-cloaked bodies?" Beast Boy asked suspiciously.

"Rumors must spread fast around JCV, Now, please, answer it."

"I don't know. Happy likes my jokes, and Raven actually sounds cute when she laughs, but her happy-go-lucky side sometimes makes her forget about me, so I didn't like that. Timid, her vulnerability made me care a lot about her, and it's nice to have a person that suppressing of herself. But she apologizes too much it's frustrating. And then Brave, she's strong and kicks butt, but she's too focused on work for some friends. I like them all together, though. It's a balanced Raven, which I like best in her."

"You're so sweet."

"I'm just being honest!"

"Speaking of her emotions, we've had eye witnesses that your eyes would glow whenever you seem to have satisfied Raven. Why is that?"

Beast Boy scowled, and the DJ could see him blush again.

"I don't know. It's just seldom that I see her happy or... like me. So when she does, it just makes me feel very complete."

"That's nice that there's a person in your life that could do that to you."

"It's a very nice feeling," Beast Boy said, then realized soon after what the DJ was implying. "Stop making this sound like I have a crush on Raven!"

"Are you denying that possibility?"

Beast Boy went momentarily speechless. With not much to say, he settled for a solemn, "No comment. But do you want to hear a joke?"

"Next time Beast Boy, next time. We still have a few more questions for you that will last until the end of this program! The next question is; When you gained nine hundred pounds as a whale during your mission under the deep blue sea, were your main intentions of making your teammates jealous was more of impressing Raven?"

"All of these questions so far have been about Raven, dude! She's a great person and I like being with her and all but this is pretty much overkill! If she gets wind of this, I just might get in trouble!"

"ANSWER IT!"

"Eep! Well, uh, partially? I mean, I wanted to impress a girl, and I knew then that Robin and Star had an attraction, so I settled for Raven. Of course, it did not go well, with her witty sarcastic remarks and all. But yeah, I was just showing off, it's my personality! Don't judge me!"

"Heroes get judged, Beast Boy, deal with it. Speaking of under the deep blue sea, were you threatened by Aqualad, considering how he could attract Starfire and, especially, Raven so easily?"

"Not predominantly by that. I always know I'm the more handsome of 'em all. I just didn't like his attitude then. We're cool now, though. Cool as the temperature of the deep ocean!"

Beast Boy laughed hysterically at his own joke, but gravely stopped and pouted upon hearing a taped cricket chirping sound played by the DJ.

"After you, well, not you, more like Robin, defeated Mad Mod for the first time, and you were in a hypnotized state wherein Starfire could not snap you out of it and thought you were gone forever, you laughed at Raven's non-joke. You would say that Raven was hiding the fact that she thinks your funny, but are you apparently doing the same thing? Do you really like her sarcastic remarks?"

"Sometimes. Not all of them, I think. I just like the tone of her voice, you know? Maybe raspy fits for sarcasms."

"You should try sarcasm, then. You and Raven both have kind of raspy voices. Aha, another suitable match!"

"Would you please stop with the shipping? I'd rather Raven and I get together, IF we were to end up together, without the influence of the public."

"That's respectable."

"Thank you. Do you have any more questions, or am I done here?"

"One more question; Are you dating Raven?"

"No!"

"Thank you, Beast Boy! We might call you up back here next time around."

"Thank you, too, even though all of those questions only regard my relationship with Raven..."

"Folks, you've been a wonderful audience and we'd love to keep hearing from you and we know you'd love to keep hearing from us! But time is running out! Until then, see you next time!"


	12. Forest for the Trees

Beast Boy paced back and forth in his pungent room, constantly shifting from point to spot as if he couldn't settle on a single place. The amount of time he had been walking might even be equivalent to a long morning stroll in the park with the far cry exception of the smell of the air, but he didn't mind. He didn't even notice because he was so concentrated on his thoughts.

Yes, he was thinking, and yes, he had been walking absent-mindedly because of the thoughts in his mind. He was so mentally conscious that he almost tripped or stumbled over some of the unhygienically scattered clothes, comic books and Xhal knows what else.

Taking into account that he had been walking for more than ten minutes and had had his mind occupied to a high extent , it would be rational for one to assume that he was thinking over many things about certain big critical issues.

But no, they were instead typical teenage troubles, and it was a simple name he had been repeating in his head.

_Raven._

Along with the empath's name was a model-like image of the young enchantress. Her in a twisted way graceful grey-toned face, her amethyst eyes, her smooth purplish bob of a hair, her diamond chakra that made Raven look more serene than she already was, if you would consider her the calm type to begin with, her adorable ears, her little cute nose, her small mouth that Beast Boy recently had a habit of staring at, her elegant movements to compliment her wonderful body, her curvy legs-

Beast Boy inwardly growled at himself for his obsession over Raven. He had been in love with his fellow teammate for a couple of years and had built up enough courage to take action only since last week.

This morning, Beast Boy had executed one of those plans to win his crush's heart, which resulted to what he was doing at that very moment.

It was his fourth attempt at courting. It was also his fourth failure. One way or another, the outcome basically was a dejected Beast Boy and a clueless Raven.

For example, that very morning, Beast Boy had woken up the earliest he ever had on a normal hero's day with the main purpose being to be alone with Raven in an appropriate, relatively romantic room. He succeeded in that part of the plan. He found Raven in the kitchen portion of the Main Ops room, brewing her favorite and almost iconic herbal tea of hers.

Beast Boy had sparked up a conversation between them with a 'Good morning', to which Raven dully reiterated to the changeling, along with a curious question, asking him why he was up so early.

"Oh, I just needed to do something that's important," he replied, leaning his back on the counter, trying to look cool.

"And what's that?"

Other than the true purpose, Beast Boy's mind was blank. He couldn't make up an excuse fast enough, and so chose to change the topic abruptly.

"You're having tea again?"

Inside, Beast Boy was punching his own gut for that ridiculous question.

"Uh... Thank you? So, what's so important that you have to get up very early?"

"I can sit here and chat for awhile. I'm in no rush," Beast Boy replied coolly.

Raven eyed her team member suspiciously, not completely believing his every word. Beast Boy noticed her squint, and took it as a sign that he had to do what he got there to do as soon as possible.

"I know you're drinking black tea right now," Beast Boy continued, eyeing back at Raven.

Raven cautiously adjusted her grip on the handle of her cup and her eyes of suspicion turned to a pair of surprise.

"How do you know?"

Beast Boy perked up his ears in triumph. "I have my ways."

"You must've read the box or something," Raven said and rolled her eyes.

Beast Boy shook his head and responded, "I know you've let it steep for 4 minutes before drinking it."

Raven's eyes returned to suspicion. "It's hard for me to believe you, Beast Boy."

"I swear I did not cheat."

Beast Boy did in fact not cheat. His attraction for the empath and made him pay attention to almost her every move, including whenever Raven would make her some tea. From his longtime observations, Beast Boy learned that Raven makes three types of tea - instant green tea from tea bags, oolong tea and black tea. The first type was easy to identify; tea particles in a bag and a short preparation time for her lesser free times. For the other two, Beast Boy would make note of the cup she used. He learned that preparing black tea would need water of higher temperature, so Raven would sometimes use a mug instead of an ordinary teacup so that she could carry her super hot drink with the handle.

"You must have read about tea somewhere," Raven said, refusing to believe Beast Boy.

"I don't read, remember?"

Raven sighed in frustration. She busied herself on how Beast Boy knew so much about her favorite drink, oblivious to the fact that it was her herself that gave Beast Boy that much knowledge.

"I just know a lot about you, Rae," Beast Boy said, hinting Raven.

"If you know me so much, you'd know that I prefer to be called Raven to Rae," Raven retorted before taking a small sip of her black tea.

Beast Boy inched closer to Raven until he was just beside her.

"I've always wanted to get to know you, Rae. You're interesting."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Sure."

Beast Boy hoped that Raven at least got his message and knew what he was implying.

"I know for sure that's one of your sarcastic remarks."

Raven rolled her eyes again. "I'm surprised you could tell."

"And that was a sarcastic remark too."

"Beast Boy, I don't know why you're here in the first place and now I don't know why we're having this conversation. I just came here to prepare tea for my morning meditation."

Raven was about to get out of the counter, but was blocked the Beast Boy. She bumped into his face and almost spilled the tea onto the floor if it weren't for her powers.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked, more frustrated.

"I'm dead serious, Raven, so don't deadpan your responses," Beast Boy, almost pleadingly. But Raven could only raise an eyebrow. She had no idea, she really hadn't.

"Maybe in the afternoon," Raven said dully before she teleported to her room.

Beast Boy realized that Raven had just escaped, and he sighed in defeat, gravely making his way back to his room so that he could stay there and evaluate his performance.

And think about Raven.

Which led him to where he was now.

Beast Boy did not know when he will have the guts to admit to Raven directly and straightforwardly, or when Raven will get the big picture that he loved her despite all of both of their polarizing crazy antics. Who could blame her though? Beast Boy had always been the one to joke with since they first met. Few took him seriously. Raven took him seriously; seriously critically. It was his reputation that made it so hard for Beast Boy to express his true feelings to Raven.

But he did not know that he was going to fall for Raven. If he did, he would've treated her more like his wife than his sister years ago.

So, in the end, it appeared to be both their faults. For years, both of them have been struggling in love, looking in the forest for the trees.


	13. Pinky Promise

**I was making another songfic. I received an inspiration, but then it couldn't continue on and I couldn't get it to arrive at the song nice enough and so that was sitting in my Doc Manager now. Then the next day I tried again after another inspiration, but the beginning kinda expanded and never got to match the start of the song with the oneshot early enough, and so I decided to finish it as a normal oneshot instead and voila!**

One night, in Jump City, Beast Boy of the Teen Titans had a nightmare that abruptly woke him up in between dusk and dawn.

It was about the love of his life. The love he lost, so basically the part of his life that resulted in him being extremely vulnerable since its disappearance.

It was about Terra.

To say he was bewildered and driven up the wall with the downpour dream would be an understatement. He had never been so eager to leave his cozy bed (that would be an overstatement, but the rancid smell did not distract him from the growing nightmarish thoughts). He had to walk around, and since the tower was on top security lock down, he decided to roam around the Main Ops room.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos... Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..."

Raven hummed her mantra in her meditation position, floating in midair as she continuously recited the three Azarathian words. She was having her nightly emotion management session just so she could wake up in great control of her feelings to start the day without any bad hairs or anger management issues.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zin - Is someone in the tower?"

Raven asked herself so because she felt a surging stampede of vulnerability from outside her room, from one side to the other, before fading and eventually un-feel-able.

She had no clue how a burglar was able to enter the tower without activating any of the security alarms, and especially why the burglar was having so many sad thoughts, so she had every right to be curious. She exited her own room and used her empathy to trail the 'burglar'.

* * *

Beast Boy arrived in the room and planned to roam around in, only to feel too demotivated to do it anyway.

That nightmare of Terra brought out the sadness in Beast Boy he had always loathed, always dreaded, and often received. In the form of loss of parents, loss of childhood, loss of control, loss of love. He was an absolute-zero failure.

He decided, almost inevitably and absentmindedly, to take a spot on the couch, which for some reason that night he did not feel comfortable sitting on.

He knew he had to move on from Terra, and he was making progress, but that one dream just brought it all back to square one.

Beast Boy heaved a barely audible sigh.

"Who's there?"

The sudden question from behind made Beast Boy turned his head around, and there he saw Raven.

"Oh, it's just you," Raven said, half-thankful that it wasn't a burglar, and half-ungrateful that it was Beast Boy.

"Hey, Raven," Beast Boy quietly greeted. He turned back to look out the window so that Raven wouldn't be depressed at the sight of his miserable face. That was, if Raven wasn't already completely depressed. "What brings you here?"

"I sensed some powerful vulnerable emotion from outside my room during my night meditation and had to check it out," Raven answered. But she couldn't find sense in what she had said compared to the actual situation. If she didn't know better, seeing Beast Boy alone in the room meant that he was the one expressing vulnerability.

"But why are you feeling vulnerable?" Raven couldn't help but ask.

"Nah, I'd rather not tell," Beast Boy instantly replied. He didn't want any external help, even if it was from his best friends. It was his own personal problem. Terra did not concern the others so much anymore.

"If you don't tell me, Beast Boy, it will greatly irritate me as I can feel it. It's distracting. If you let it out, it wouldn't be so."

Beast Boy sighed, wondering if what Raven said was correct. How often was Raven wrong? But what he would've told her would probably make Raven just regret putting herself into the role of the love adviser.

"Okay, Raven," Beast Boy said, beckoning for Raven to sit beside him. Raven did not completely like to be told where to sit, but that was her own cynical self, she needed to help her friend for the moment.

Her crush, in fact.

Raven was actually wishing Beast Boy was being troubled by her, in a good, 'can't get her out of my mind' kind of way.

"It's about Terra," Beast Boy begun, and Raven's heart sank a bit. She knew, but she hoped for someone else. After all, the moment was perfect. There was the serene night scene, the moon like a spotlight on their honeymoon-like situation. There was no one else in sight. The talk felt heartfelt...

"It's been months, Beast Boy," Raven told him. "But I understand."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow and looked at Raven. He never doubted Raven was compassionate. She is very empathetic, after all. But he never thought she was that compassionate. He was thinking that Raven was referring to Malchior.

"I still dread my... not my... Trigon, even after his defeat," she clarified.

"Oh," Beast Boy looked back at the night scene. It sure was peaceful and romantic.

"We can move on from them together, Beast Boy," Raven assured him.

Beast Boy sighed and said, "But Trigon's not alive anymore. Terra... is. She just doesn't know it. I think."

"Please, Beast Boy," Raven urged, as if begging. Beast Boy seldom heard Raven speak in such a tone, so he had to believe her sincerity.

"You promise?" he asked, lifting a pinky.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked, staring inquisitively at the raised finger.

"Pinky promise."

"Oh..." Raven thought it was childish, but it was Beast Boy. But this act was different; it seemed more serious.

"I don't do this kind of stuff..." Raven said in an unsure tone.

Beast Boy stifled a chuckle before taking one of Raven's one hand, and raising her littlest, thinnest, most delicate finger for her.

This made Raven blush a bit, so she used her free hand to pull up her cloak.

"We do it like this," Beast Boy said, before demonstrating the pinky promise. Though Raven could not feel his real skin of his hand brushed against hers, his gloves were good enough. She felt the warmth, the sturdiness, that one finger tightly holding on to her petite one. It was like a childhood memory she never had, and she guessed her never had either.

"Now do you promise?" Beast Boy asked again.

Raven looked up and smiled at the handsome boy in front of her and replied, "Pinky promise."


	14. A Thousand Years

**A.N. I don't know about this one. I love the song, but I made this too much like a summary rather than an actual story. Sorry y'all. Anyway, I still hope you can feel the BBRae Madness in this!**

"Friends, I am terribly concerned for friend Beast Boy. He's locked himself in the room for so long already."

Starfire, Robin, Cyborg and Raven were all in the common room, fixing the damages that the Sladebots had caused.

They were doing the repairs and at the moment were recovering from the shock of Terra's betrayal. Beast Boy took it the hardest.

"We have to give him time, Star," Robin answered.

"How can we? Robin, he is in a spiral depression!" Starfire protested.

"Calm down, Star. He's been down in the dumps since he got dumped and our tower got trashed two days ago, but we have to give him time if he wants it," Cyborg said. "I'll be in the evidence room to clean up."

Starfire sighed and gave up. "I'll help."

"I'll keep working on the computers for any more Slade sightings," Robin said. "Where are you going, Raven?"

Raven had been silent the whole time. Truthfully, she wanted to see Beast Boy and know how he was doing, the boys seemed so adamant in their opinion.

"I'll be in my room," Raven lied. She went to the corridor of bedrooms, and, after making sure the coast was clear, stopped outside Terra's room.

She quietly knocked on the door, and gradually knocked louder when there was no response.

"Beast Boy?" Raven called. No response. Finally, she had had it. She phased through the door into his room.

She saw the wallpaper of the rocky scene that Terra loved sleeping with. Raven was slightly disgusted that she helped put it on.

On the traitor's bed, she saw Beast Boy, holding a heart-shaped box.

"Beast Boy, you can't stay here forever," Raven said.

"I can if I want to," Beast Boy said, his bitter tone competing with Raven's ordinary deadpan.

"Come on, Beast Boy, you can't be like this forever."

"How would you know?" Beast Boy said coldly, which offended Raven a bit. "Who brought you here anyway?"

"I brought myself here. Because I care. No one else in this team has ever been loved and betrayed so quickly, but I am willing to help you go through this hardship. The least you can do is be thankful about it."

Beast Boy went silent for awhile, Raven didn't know why. He didn't know why either. His mind was just a jumbled mess.

"Thanks," he finally answered. "And I'm sorry for being so cold-blooded. I'm just really upset."

Raven hovered to the bed and sat beside Beast Boy.

"Let me help you get back on your feet," Raven said.

Beast Boy looked up and faced Raven. Raven did not need to be empathetic to feel the sadness and vulnerability in his face. His green face had always been expressive, but the face she was seeing now has got to be the most honest yet her least favorite.

"I promise," she added genuinely.

At that, Beast Boy couldn't contain the tears he had been hiding. He tightly hugged Raven and let the water wildly escape his eyes.

Raven's heart was beating at the contact. Feeling the moment, she hugged him back.

**_Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave  
How can I love when I'm afraid  
To fall_**

Beast Boy let go of Raven and vice versa, and they stared into each other.

"Thank you, Raven, really," he said with a smile, something Raven had actually missed. "Let's go get Slade now!"

Raven chuckled a bit, and Beast Boy noticed it.

"You laughed!"

"Don't push it, Beast Boy," Raven said, quickly resuming monotone. "It's just the moment."

"Okay, okay, but that doesn't mean I can give up," Beast Boy said, wagging his eyebrows like an adorable puppy. "I kind of missed doing that."

_Oh really?_ Raven thought.

"Why did you decide to help me?" Beast Boy asked.

"You felt lonely, Beast Boy. I couldn't help see you like that," she answered. "That's my job."

Beast Boy chuckled.

"You're awesome, Rae!" Beast Boy said before hugging Raven again.

Raven made herself comfortable in the embrace. She wanted it to last longer.

**_But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt  
Suddenly goes away somehow_**  
**_One step closer_**

A week later brought the return of Terra, and her redemption. The team was just returning from her stone self.

"We're truthfully sorry for you, Beast Boy," Starfire comforted Beast Boy in the tower.

"It's fine, Star, I'll live," he said. "She may not fight alongside us anymore, but she's still here. Deep in our hearts. Plus, at least I'll be able to see her every day, just as a statue."

"Splendid, friend," Starfire said happily. "If you require me to concoct the pudding of sadness, let me know."

"I don't think I will," Beast Boy declined the offer. "It's just gonna get a lot of getting used to knowing she's not physically here. I loved her so much."

Raven stealthily walked past Starfire and Beast Boy, secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. She felt a bit heartbroken by what Beast Boy said, basically because he did not acknowledge her in any shape or form. She had helped him go through his pain from being betrayed by Terra, and when Terra went back to the good side, Beast Boy jumped back on her love boat, and left Raven in the ashes of his sadness. She figured he did out of love and not pure ignorance, but it was still frustrating, especially since she suffered from the drawback.

But with Terra not actively playing Beast Boy's girlfriend anymore, Raven's love for Beast Boy had not completely died out if not strengthened.

**_I have died every day waiting for you  
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I love you for a thousand more_**

Ever since the Terra aftershock, Beast Boy had been working on moving on and forward, so it was a good thing the Teen Titans had that mission against the HIVE Academy to keep his mind busy with tasks, including learning to control a Cyborg copy and gluing a game controller onto Raven's delicate hands.

Speaking of Raven, with Terra out of his mind for the most part, he had created mental and social space for his teammates. Especially and specifically, Raven.

He had recently noticed how much he had distanced himself from Raven relationship-wise when Terra was around. He vividly remembered before Terra's entrance how much time he and Raven spent together, during both missions and leisure times. With the absence of the closeness, it seemed to be compensated head-first with more personal moments. First of all, Beast Boy had been the one to comfort Raven when Malchior cheated on her, knowing full well how she must have felt. They even shared a hug after Malchior got recursed. Soon after, there was that Beast incident, where he found out that the Beast had a wild 'animalistic' attraction, or a sense of protectiveness, for Raven. They even shared a moment on the shore - the exact place he and Terra had previously shared a romantic moment.

The blows of personal bonding made Beast Boy pay attention to Raven a lot more. She was, in fact, pretty in a dark, zen kind of way that contrasted his green, wild, good-natured, and handsome of a heartthrob. Now, whenever he would see Raven, he would want her to notice him. He would help her in ways that wouldn't be obvious to others that he was almost too eager to help. And the more he saw, made contact, helped her, the more he felt they were close.

**_Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath, every hour has come to this_**  
**_One step closer_**

When Beast Boy and the rest of the team saw Raven in danger, with the return of Slade and his sudden attention to the dark sorceress, Beast Boy felt intense concern. Originally, he thought she was mad at him for sneaking into the Titans main documents for her birthday (to his excitement since he was most enthusiastic in finding out, and he felt really happy when he found out), but he realized Raven was just worried for her and her friends' sake after Slade's return.

However, he was extremely mad at himself at how useless he was when Raven was being chased by Slade all around Jump City, and he was stuck in the middle of a transformation while Raven chose Robin to help her. He kind of understood her choice; Robin was the leader, he was smart, he was the one with the Slade-obsessive-compulsive-'dis'order, and at that time she was more confident in her sibling-like relationship with Robin than with the others, him inclusive. Still, a part of him wished he could have been the one rescuing the damsel (Raven) in distress.

He hated Robin delegating him to replay the scenes of the fight against Slade; seeing Slade winning the battle with his new fiery powers and seeing Raven basically tortured out of her once collected mind. He did not want Raven to perceive him as only a guy in the back. He wanted to play an active, supportive role in her battle. So when the team found out about Trigon, he made an inward vow to help Raven in every conceivable way.

He treated Raven like he was her bodyguard. He tried using his childish ways to entertain her, or at least help bring out the usual her. He turned into the Beast to help fend off Slade, to protect the Beauty that was Raven.

When Trigon had turned most everyone into stone, and the team had to defeat Trigon, Beast Boy wished he had learnt more about what he could do to save Raven, but instead opted to fight his evil self. He realized his evil self used Terra against him because 'he' knew he would be weakened by it. He might have become furious if 'he' said anything bad about Raven instead.

Trigon had been defeated. It was all over now. He would still protect her if required, though.

**_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_**

Raven, on the other hand, chose to depend on Robin mainly because he was the leader and he was definitely more intelligent and professional. She wouldn't be able to get herself together if she saw Beast Boy saw her in ripped clothes that Slade made to give her the message. She would be using her heart too much, so in a way she had to pick Robin.

She knew in the duration from her birthday to Trigon's defeat that Beast Boy had cared for her. He gave her a lucky penny, for goodness' sake. In a way, she was glad the world 'ended', because it brought her closer to her teammates, especially Beast Boy. With Trigon's defeat, Raven had the right to be free now.

**_And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I love you for a thousand more_**

Each passing day afterwards saw Beast Boy and Raven inch closer together. After the fight against the Brotherhood of Evil and the 'return of Terra', the two decided to put even more effort to understand each other more personally. Raven even took it upon herself to read the blurbs on the video game cases, and even voluntarily touched the consoles with super glue in between. Beast Boy, on the other hand, read a bit of Edgar Allan Poe.

Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg noticed the growing attraction, and instantly knew that they had replaced 'RobStar'.

**_One step closer  
One step closer_**

A few years later...

"I love you, Garfield," Raven said with a smile.

"I love me too, Rae," Beast Boy, or, as Raven came to call him, Garfield, replied with a light kiss.

Raven gave a soft chuckle. "You are a hopeless romantic."

"That's because I am hopelessly devoted to you," Garfield replied with a seductive wink. "But in all seriousness, I'm glad we finally open up to each other. It's been, what, five years?"

"Yes, Gar. That's what happens when destiny picks a quiet girl who was supposed to be evil and a dude with the mind of an imbecile, however adorable, to be a loving couple."

"Well, I'm somehow glad it took us this long to finally get together."

"Why?"

"Because," Garfield said as he gave Raven a sweet embrace, "that's a thousand years of spending time together getting close, and a thousand years more of spending time together as close as it can get."

**_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_**

**_And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I love you for a thousand more_**


	15. The A-B-C Game

Beast Boy and Raven were in the common room, he staring blankly at the TV screen and she drowsily reading a book. They were alone in the tower and were in charge of looking after it.

"Hey, Raven. I'm bored and I can tell you're kinda bored too now that you've read every book in the world five times except the Twilight Saga. Do you want to play the A-B-C game with me? We just speak alternatively, each time starting our sentence with the last letter and ending it with the letter after that."

Raven put down her book and stared irritably but sleepily at Beast Boy. She saw the pleading eyes of his and could tell he was desperate to do something fun. Why he chose the A-B-C game was beyond her.

"Hm. Meh. I'll do it, mainly out of boredom. But I'm warning you; any usage of your own unusual vocabulary and I'll smack you and break your fang."

Beast Boy's eyes glowed at the acceptance. He was about to play a child's game with Raven, he wanted to cherish it.

"Awesome! I'll start! Remember, it must be on topic and in a continued dialog way. Okay...

A girl like you should not be such a snob."

Raven rolled her eyes at that and decided to counter it.

"Beast Boy, whatever you say sounds moronic."

Beast Boy stifled a giggle and countered back.

"Can you be any less kind?"

Raven narrowed her eyes at Beast Boy, accepting his challenge.

"Definitely, because you never fail to irritate me."

Beast Boy tried to think of a comeback that won't disqualify him. In the end, he couldn't think of one fast enough and declared Raven the winner of that sub-conversation.

"Emotion control must be some really hard stuff."

Raven was about to say that his last sentence failed to comply with the conversation's continuity, but then thought it was somewhat relevant since her emotions were one of the main causes of her attitude.

"For the first few years, yes, but I learned to keep the control strong."

"Glad you at least came through."

Raven gave a small smile at Beast Boy's response. She was really feeling like they were in a casual discussion, but with the rules restricting what they could say, they had to put more effort, something they did less when the years went by.

"How about you and your shapeshifting nuclei?"

"I can control it, but developing my powers was as difficult as trying to like, no offense to anyone this is strictly for game purpose, the songs of Nicki Minaj."

Raven's smile broadened a bit, enough for Beast Boy to notice. Raven could tell he did because he grinned from ear to ear at the sight. Raven immediately reverted back to her monotone.

"Just our luck."

Beast Boy nodded in agreement and decided to change the topic once again.

"Kiss-and-smooch are in the mall."

This made Raven smile even more. With effort and a little more subtlety, Beast Boy could actually be funny. Or at least Raven's type of funny.

"Lip contact for language transfer has become the overused excuse for Starfire to give her boyfriend a Tameranean mouth slam."

Beast Boy let out a loud chuckle.

"Mean Raven!"

They were both now smiling at each other. This was one of those rare moments that Raven admired Beast Boy for his personality.

"No."

"Oh if Star gets word of this she'll give you a Tameranean face slap!"

"Please, she wouldn't do that unless someone calls her a Troq."

"Quite true you are, female sorcerer."

"Really, I'm quite enjoying this."

"See, I'm _always _right!"

Unknowingly to Raven, Beast Boy scooted closer to Raven.

"Try harder to impress me, I'm still not amazed by you."

Beast Boy got closer, he was literally centimeters away at that point. The young changeling was becoming more confident by the minute.

"Until then, let's try this improv..."

Raven was wide-eyed in shock when Beast Boy leaned in closer to her and gave her the gentlest of all Earthling mouth slams. Caught in the moment, Raven kissed him back. After a few seconds, their lips parted and they stared at each other before Raven broke the silence.

"Very... wow..."

Beast Boy laughed at Raven's gasping remark. Raven followed in laughter.

"Will you be my girlfriend as you are better than Terra, my ex?"

Raven then pulled Beast Boy into an affectionate hug.

"Yes, I will."

Beast Boy willingly hugged back, happy to finally be Raven's boyfriend. Then he realize she lost.

"Hey! You lost!"

Raven ended the hug and smirked at Beast Boy.

"I don't care. I won you."

Beast Boy shook his head and smirked back.

"No, I won you."


	16. Almost Lover

**(A/N: This song is Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy, as requested by Rachel! I hope y'all can enjoy this! Thank you for all the reviews especially for the latest ones gabylokita41, Katwizzle, xXimmortalXx and guests! I've never received so many 'Awww's in my life and I'd want to keep them coming! ^_^ They make me happy!**

**This is one of the few sad BBRae oneshots of mine.)**

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Beast Boy," Raven said dully. "But it's technically a bit too early to declare it a normal morning."

Raven and Beast Boy were in the kitchen side of the common room, and it was reaching 4 a.m. From their spot, they could see outside the window; half seascape, half city view. Trees of different kinds - birch, aspen, cedar, sycamore, even palm - rustled against the light, breezy wind. The sun had not shown signs of rise-and-shine over the city at the moment.

"Why are you up so early?" Raven asked Beast Boy as she sipped at her fragile cup of fragrant herbal tea.

"I'm cooking breakfast today," Beast Boy replied. "You can say I'm doing it earlier than usual just to get away from Cyborg's pig rants."

"Sounds like a good plan. Right, today is the third Thursday of the month; the day you volunteer to cook breakfast for the whole team. Looks like I'll have to get chugging on my tea."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy asked naively, making Raven smirk behind him.

"Why has this been a tradition, anyway? I've never asked," Raven wondered. She racked her brains, treating it like a file cabinet with documents of her memories. "The day you cooked breakfast and got sucked into my mind-mirror with Cyborg happened on the third Thursday of a month. That's the vividest I can recall."

Beast Boy perked up his ears at the mention of the past event and he blushed. _Curses for Raven's diary-like memory!_

"Well... uh..." he stammered, loss for words. His back was facing Raven and he sure glad it was, because that meant his front and his now red face were not. "Yeah. I never knew that was how Trigon looked like then. Shoulda known, hehe..."

Raven made a sound that was between a sniff and a sigh, Beast Boy heard. Then, she said, "I still hate him for tending to my rage while he created a mirage for himself thinking he was a father figure to me. Still sends me shivers, regret and self-hatred."

"Don't say that, Raven. Like your friends have said a million times before and I have no problem repeating it again; you're awesome!"

"Thank you, Beast Boy," a sincerely grateful Raven said, and something in her raspy, mesmerizing voice plus those spoken words of appreciation made Beast Boy blush even more.

He was so flushed that he accidentally pushed a squishy block of tofu out of the chopping board and onto the kitchen counter.

"I'll get it," both Beast Boy and Raven offered at the same time, reaching out for the meat-free substitute.

Before they realized it, none of them felt the jelly-like texture of the bean curd, but instead the fingers (gloved in Raven's case as Beast Boy had his gloves on) of each other.

Both immediately let go, leaving the tofu jiggling at its spot and the green and pale faced teenagers with rapidly beating hearts and reddening faces.

_Your fingertips across my skin_  
_The palm trees swaying in the wind_  
_Images_

"I-I'm sorry, I got it," Beast Boy stuttered and frantically placed the tofu back onto the chopping board. _Dude, tofu's making me an emotional wreck today... and today barely started!_

Raven spun around and forced her eyes shut.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..."

Her meditation chant did not calm her nerves. In fact, images of her and Beast Boy surfaced in her imagination.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she repeatedly chanted, much faster each time it failed to get the images off her mind.

"Your voice's so soothing, Raven," Beast Boy suddenly uttered out.

Raven involuntarily encased the remote controller for the television and it exploded in it.

_You sang me Spanish lullabies_  
_The sweetest sadness in your eyes_  
_Clever trick_

"Raven? Are you still there?" Beast Boy asked when he heard no reply. He turned his head and saw Raven's back, in his opinion a beautiful one at that.

"Uh," Raven drifted in her response.

"Raven?"

Raven did not expect Beast Boy to take her by the shoulders and spin her back around so that he could see her face. Coincidentally, her hood dropped from shadowing her face, exposing the bright blush.

"Raven? Are you blushing?"

"No," Raven lied, but there was absolutely no use in that, and she knew it.

Beast Boy's hope was igniting inside him as the realization began to dawn on him like how the sun was about to dawn on the city.

"Raven," Beast Boy said teasingly, "you are blushing! Raven, do you like me?"

Raven used her powers, though she couldn't tell if she did it on purpose or if it was from control gone wrong, to push Beast Boy away from her. At the instant of her freedom, she pulled the hood back up and turned back around.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered gravely.

"But Raven, I love you," Beast Boy confessed, causing a glass somewhere in the kitchen to shatter from Raven's powers.

"I can't!" Raven shouted before disappearing from the kitchen, back into her room. Beast Boy only stared at the empty spot where Raven had been standing, feeling dejected and rejected.

_I never want to see you unhappy_  
_I thought you'd want the same for me_

A few hours later, during the official morning for the Titans and for the other people of Jump City, Beast Boy had completed cooking breakfast and the rest of the team had entered the common room for their morning meal.

Beast Boy unknowingly ignored Robin's inquisitive questions, Starfire's cheerful greetings, and Cyborg's anti-herbivorous complaints, for all his attention was spent on Raven. Too bad for him she was not giving him the time of day.

"Morning, Raven," he said, subtly smiling at the enchantress.

Raven bowed her head down and avoided eye contact, finishing her tofu bacon.

"Raven," Beast Boy said in a kind of condescending tone, mainly out of disappointment that Raven was pretending she did not hear him or even acknowledge his presence.

"I love you," he whispered, softly enough for only her to hear.

"I love you too, Beast Boy," Raven whispered back in the same volume, "but I don't want to." And she disappeared once again, escaping Beast Boy's figurative grip.

When Raven left, Beast Boy felt like his heart left with her. She did not want to love him, Beast Boy could not apprehend that without feeling super upset.

_Goodbye, my almost lover_  
_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_  
_I'm trying not to think about you_  
_Can't you just let me be?_  
_So long, my luckless romance_  
_My back is turned on you_  
_I should've known you'd bring me heartache_  
_Almost lovers always do_

In the afternoon, the team had made their way to the park to take care of an escaped Overload. The electrifying villain was being troublesome because the Teen Titans had to ensure that he didn't set any fires. Fortunately, it began to rain and Overload was naturally defeated.

However, unfortunately, Mother Nature was on no one's side except her own. There was a powerful storm blowing at Jump City. Without bringing the T-car for the mission and with the unsuitable weather conditions, the Titans were left with the option to walk the way home.

But they weren't the only ones with the idea, people were trying to get home as well, making the streets quite crowded given the torrential downpour.

Beast Boy had been stealing glances at Raven that it was becoming somewhat scandalous in his opinion. But his heart kept telling him to 'go for it'.

"Raven," he called, sneaking into her telekinetic-induced shelter.

"Not now, Beast Boy," Raven deadpanned. "This is not a good time to talk about it."

"Well, you wouldn't talk to me in any other situation so this is perfect," Beast Boy countered. "Raven, I'm only sorry that my confession has got you out of character. But I love you despite all your crazy, insecurities and doubts. I'm an accepting person; you of all people should know that."

The rain had made the two's conversation inaudible to the other three members, who were in front of them.

_We walked along a crowded street_  
_You took my hand and danced with me_  
_Images_

"You're also out of character, Mr. Hopeless Romantic," Raven responded monotonously, trying to stay in her usual character.

"Change is good," Beast Boy said, giving a small smile considering his naturally large mouth. Beast Boy then tried to grab the chance. He leaned his face towards Raven's, lips towards lips.

And for a brief moment, their lips made contact, but Raven leaned back a bit, cutting the potential kissing to even begin.

"I know, Beast Boy," Raven replied. "I know you're one of the only people who understands me to such a large extent. That's why I can't."

_And when you left you kissed my lips_  
_You told me you'd never ever forget these images, no_

Beast Boy could not understand. He was building doors for her to enter, she knocked on them but did not enter in any.

Raven then encased the whole team with her powers and teleported them back into the tower.

"Great idea, Raven," Robin said, but Raven had already dashed elsewhere.

"Beast Boy, do you know where friend Raven has gone off to?" Starfire inquired, but Beast Boy had also left, out of heartbreak, disappointment and confusion.

_I never want to see you unhappy_  
_I thought you'd want the same for me_

It took a few days for Beast Boy to take in Raven's consistent refusal. Raven, however, was still unwilling to open up and fully accept and embrace her love for the boy with Prince Frog-like skin color.

One evening, Beast Boy had just happened to be outside Raven's room. He contemplated whether to give it another shot; he wasn't about to give up.

Reluctantly, he knocked on her door.

"Raven?"

Raven, who had been reading, plopped her book down, took deep long breaths, and stood just outside her door, leaving it closed, with Beast Boy literally opposite her.

"Yes, Beast Boy?" she responded, hesitance obvious in her voice.

"Are you doing well?"

"Fine," was Raven's brief reply.

Beast Boy was not sure what to say without resulting in another Raven's sudden exit.

"Beast Boy, please," she begged before Beast Boy could speak. "I'm trying not to think about you."

"How can you, Raven?" an incredulous Beast Boy asked. "I'm more than willing to take on this relationship!"

Raven sighed, and Beast Boy swore she had shed a tear.

"I'm not, though. I don't trust myself. I've seen what I can do, and I know it's best for us to have this current relationship _only_."

"You mean us struggling so hard to have a normal conversation without the awkwardness because we're not fully being honest with ourselves and with each other in our feelings?" Beast Boy retorted.

"I'm sorry," Raven apologized softly as she tried not to choke from her emotions. "I love you."

Pained, Beast Boy left his spot, but after ending their talk by replying, "I love you too."

_Goodbye, my almost lover_  
_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_  
_I'm trying not to think about you_  
_Can't you just let me be?_  
_So long, my luckless romance_  
_My back is turned on you_  
_I should've known you'd bring me heartache_  
_Almost lovers always do_

After that conversation, it took weeks for Beast Boy to realize that she and he were still not together, but he was still not completely over her.

Robin, Cyborg and Starfire had noticed the changes in their friends' behaviors. Raven looked paler than before and was more withdrawn, even beginning to decline all of Starfire's pleas for her to take the Tamaranean to the mall of shopping. Beast Boy, on the other hand, stopped playing video games with Cyborg and had resorted to staying in his room. They all had the right idea on what might have happened, and all of them extended helping hands, only to have them quickly declined.

Beast Boy felt like he was in an emotional trauma - he might be. He could not sleep the way he usually did, often waking himself up and then having problems going back to sleep. He had no idea the impact Raven's rejected had on him, how much he actually loved her.

Raven felt guilty cruelly turning Beast Boy down, but she thought she would feel the same way should she build a much closer relationship with him only to disappoint him. On top of those, she felt guilty leading him on so easily in the first place, and then not accepting his love just as easily.

_I cannot go to the ocean_  
_I cannot drive the streets at night_  
_I cannot wake up in the morning_  
_Without you on my mind_  
_So you're gone and I'm haunted_  
_And I bet you are just fine_  
_Did I make it that easy_  
_To walk right in and out of my life?_

Weeks went by, neither of them had still moved on, but individually they had put effort to show their concerned team members that they had. They thought it would help them move on, not think of the 'what if's, their luckless romance, their hopeless dream, their almost lover.

_Goodbye, my almost lover_  
_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_  
_I'm trying not to think about you_  
_Can't you just let me be?_  
_So long, my luckless romance_  
_My back is turned on you_  
_I should've known you'd bring me heartache_  
_Almost lovers always do_

And still, they love each other.


	17. The Movies

Friday movie nights aren't always all fun. A lot of thought and planning end up being involved due to the surprisingly complex nature of merely deciding what movie to watch, when to watch it, what to eat while watching it, what to _drink_ while watching it, who to invite, where to sit, who to sit next to, what to do during the movie, what to do _after_ the movie, who cleans up the mess, who turns off the television, how will the night end, and potentially many more.

For five friends with polarizing interests, the simple first decision-making process may prove to be more complicated than fighting an evil incarnate who wants to rule the world. It's undoubtedly difficult to come up with a consensus if there is an all-adventure guy, a fantasy princess, a dull woman with mysterious nature, a classic joker, and a scientific geek. But just like that special bond that put those friends together, there has to be that factor that ultimately got them to select a movie.

"Alright, guys, it's Friday night! It's time to pick a movie. That means it's rock-paper-scissors time!"

"I'm not doing it, Beast Boy. Not anymore."

"Come on, Raven. Everyone has an equal shot at this, it's the fairest method!"

"It's ridiculous, in my opinion."

"We've been doing this for quite some time already! Why are you against it now?"

"It's the third week, Beast Boy. It's only the third time we've done it."

"Oh really? It felt like twenty-something days..."

"Three weeks _is_ twenty-something days..."

"You just hate the fact that you can't watch your favorite horror flicks."

"Partially. But you suggested this childhood game just so you could have more of a chance at getting to watch a comedic film. You never looked forward to those training sessions that decides who gets to choose the movie."

"Right, but at least I know I can tolerate all kinds of movies. I bet you can't."

"Yes, I can. I can prove it. I'll even keep my emotions in check."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you prove it."

"You name it, Beast Boy. I like a challenge to deflate your ego other than using sarcastically witty remarks."

"Next Friday, at the theater, they're playing an old romantic chick flick. The first one to call it quits there loses and has to do the other's chores for the following week."

"Deal. Pick me up at 10 p.m. outside the tower?"

"Delighted."

"Delighted to be losing next Friday? Be a gentleman and treat me some snacks while you're at it."

"Only if you come looking refreshed and look even slightly enthusiastic."

"Deal."

"It's a date, then."

Robin, Starfire and Cyborg, all three stunned, stared as Beast Boy and Raven made their separate ways to their rooms.

"What just happened?"

In the end, sometimes one has to give up some to get some.

**(Author's Note: I wasn't sure how to put this. I wanted a BIG shift in the story style, format, degree of seriousness/formality, focus all while keeping the main strictly specific theme/topic as the focal point. May I know how this went in your opinions? That would be great! Thanks for reading!)**


	18. Demon No More

The Gem was born of evil's fire.  
The Gem shall be his portal.  
He comes to claim. He comes to sire.  
The end of all things mortal.

Born bounded with destiny.  
Born the fate to subdue.  
Her friends helped her. They mutiny.  
Trigon, the Teen Titans overthrew.

The heroes' chivalry prevail as they swore.  
The heroes save the Earth.  
The Terrible gone. Demon no more.  
The Empath freed from cursed birth.

The Gem then became a woman.  
The Gem no longer exists.  
But one jade patroller. One lighthearted man.  
Heart seeks for eyes amethyst.

He admires her losses and wins.  
He is entranced by her presence.  
She notices. Her head spins.  
Love is of the essence.

They finally crossed the path.  
They confessed their love.  
The Changeling. The Empath.  
The against all odds pair lovers think of.

**(Author's Note: Here's another poem for the lovely couple! Oh I just love this couple! I'm sure y'all recognize the first stanza! I hope you guys also enjoyed the rest of the verse. And to those who have been reading this note up until this point (I really, truly, sincerely am grateful for it!), please take a peek or even a leisurely read at my fanfic I Want To Know What Love Is, also BBRae!)**


	19. Sparks Fly

I cannot believe I am admitting to this...

How on Earth, out of everyone in the entire _universe..._

I am having feelings for _him?_

Isn't he just a recklessly childish teammate that I am often bugged by? Shouldn't I be indifferent and unaffected by his headfirst endeavors by now?

Or is that the very thing gravitating me towards him?

What's more, how does _he _find me _attractive? _His ex-partner is not very much like I am. Yet, he has confessed to me that he thinks I am perplexedly beautiful, and his tone and way of saying 'perplexedly' is too believable to be a misunderstanding.

Now, whenever I see him out and about, anywhere, even in my most _subconscious thoughts_, I can't help but feel a raging wave of storm blowing me away, and I mean that figuratively to a large extent. And it just happened this morning, great...

It's like the beginning of that Taylor Swift song. Unusual for me to listen to diary-esque dreamy music, I know, but it goes with this strange array of emotions.

**_The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm  
___****And I'm a house of cards  
You're the kind of reckless that should send me running  
But I kinda know that I won't get**** _far_**

Dude, get your head straight...

What's done's done, there's no turning back. Heh, I don't even feel a tinge of regret!

But...

Did it work? I'm seriously for doing what I did, but still on the fence about it. And I still can't believe I told her what I think. I just can't keep the truth in me for too long. That wasn't even the full truth.

Oh, who am I kidding? I just lost control over myself! She was just _there_! We were alone! The scene definitely played it out for me, and I just took a bite off it! Oh, she was so close to touch...

I'm getting those quirky love song emotions right now, and I know just the singer that expresses it for me.

_**And you stood there in front of me  
Just close enough to touch  
Close enough to hope you couldn't see  
What I was thinking**** of**_

Control your emotions. Don't let them loose...

That doesn't work. It looks like I'll need a new lamp.

I don't want my emotions to get out through my powers like last time, so I ought to drop everything now and tell him how I feel about this whole... lovesick situation.

Azar, I am lovesick.

_**Drop everything now  
Meet me in the pouring rain**_

That's it!

I'll ask her to walk with me to the park and we'll have an intimate excursion on the sidewalk!

Gah, but some villain will probably show up. I have to find a way...

Or maybe I can just tell her directly.

_**Kiss me on the sidewalk  
Take away the**** pain**_**  
**

_**'Cause I see  
**__**Sparks Fly  
**__**Whenever you**** smile**_

Okay, Raven, take a deep breath...

You will just get out of your room, knock on his, get together to the roof, then take a sincere look at his eyes...

His huge, positive, green, wonderful eyes...

And tell him how you feel...

_**Get me with those green eyes, baby  
**__**As the lights go**** down**_

You got this, Garfield Mark Logan! You got this! Dude, I organized a team to defeat the Brotherhood of Evil, I can totally tell Raven I love her!

The sooner, the better. Just tell her the honest truth.

How her purple eyes pull me to a hazy abyss of bewilderment - is that a word?

How I yearn - I don't know if this is a word neither - for her whenever she's not around, I can do this...

_**Give me something that'll haunt me  
**__**When you're not around**_

_**'Cause I see  
Sparks Fly  
Whenever you**** smile**_

Hold up, Beast Boy! Is that a good idea to just tell her? After all those times I've called her creepy and she'd called me a pinhead, would it just be downright over-the-top to confess to her?

This whole situation needs to slow down. She's already been thinking of me differently... I think.

Well, she did hug me that one time when Malchior hurt her feelings. That proves I'm her knight in shining armor, right?

_**My mind forgets to remind me  
You're a bad idea  
You touch me once and it's really something  
You find I'm ever better than you imagined I would**** be**_**  
**

Wait a minute...

I'm doing this on the fly. Beast Boy's younger than me, I'm always more open to him than anyone else and I don't want to lose that.

But if I don't, I'll be missing on an opportunity. Ugh, I really wish this guy would make it easier for me!

_**I'm on my guard for the rest of the world  
**__**But with you, I know it's no good  
**__**And I could wait patiently  
**__**But I really wish you**_ **_would_**

I know! I'll send her a note telling her to meet me down the shore! The shore's the perfect place!

Beast Boy, you're a heart-throbbing genius!

Wow, I'm complimenting myself...

_**Drop everything now  
**__**Meet me in the pouring**** rain**_

What's that? It's a piece of paper, but who would slip it under my door?

"Meet me by the shore"...

Beast Boy, it's raining...

Leave it to the men to decide the meeting venue.

_**Kiss me on the sidewalk  
**_**_Take away the_ _pain_**

Okay, I'm here - Crap, it's raining!

Great, great, I'm confessing to Raven soaking wet...

**_'Cause I see  
Sparks Fly  
Whenever you_ _smile_**

He better return the favor when I cover him with me with my powers...

Maybe a confession and a kiss would do.

_**Get me with those green eyes, baby  
**__**As the lights go**** down**_

There's Raven! Sweet! She's beautiful, like always.

"Good evening, Raven! Hehe, thanks for the shelter, I didn't realize it's raining.

So... I have something I want to say to you. For a really long time now..."

**Give**_** me something that'll haunt me  
**__**When you're not**** around**_

Hm, who would've thought that the person I want to be with the most is the person I can do the thing I want to do the most to? And the thing that I want to do the most is give witty, sarcastic comments. Perfect fit.

"You owe me. Oh, and make this quick. We can still catch a cold."

_**'Cause I see  
**__**Sparks Fly  
**__**Whenever you**** smile**_

Great, we're here, together, alone, in the pouring rain, a romantic setting...

What should I do next? _What should I do next?_

That elegant string of violet hair is on Raven's face again, maybe if I put it back to the back for her...

Hah! I rightfully did so and now she's trembling! She totally digs me! The lights on the Tower's front side second floor has gone berserk with telekinetic energy! Sweet!

Wait, that's my room...

_**I run my fingers through your hair  
**__**And watch the lights go**** wild**_

Curse this lovable man! He definitely knows my weak spots. But I don't mind...

Beast Boy ought to suggest us to move indoors, though, or else I'll drain my anger at him by soaking him with the downpour. That'd be fulfilling to watch.

It won't even take much for me to remove the powers. His eyes are so, _so_ doing that for me...

But we should still get in the tower.

_**Just keep on keeping your eyes on me  
**__**It's just wrong enough to make you feel**** right**_

"Okay, Beast Boy, I've been waiting for you to ask us to get back inside the tower and talk there, but I don't think that idea ever crossed your mind. Let's go."

With a roll of an eye, I pulled a mystified Beast Boy back into our abode. Lucky for us, no one was in the common room.

But instead, he gently requested me if he could lead me into my room instead. Hopefully, he's finally getting the hang of a debonair's gesture.

_**And lead me up the staircase  
**__**Won't you whisper soft and**** slow**_

I brought Raven into her dark room. I don 't find those furniture of hers spooky anymore. After all, I need to be embracing all of her.

Setting Raven down on her bed, me beside her, I mustered the courage and took her by the delicate hand. Her eyes began gleaming with curiosity and I think hope.

This is it, I am about to do it...

I leaned closer to her, and she didn't seem to mind. I whispered into her ear, softly and slowly, those words from that Swift song.

**_I'm captivated by you,_ _baby_  
**_**Like a firework show**_

_**Drop everything now, meet me in the pouring rain  
Kiss me on the sidewalk, take away the pain  
'Cause I see sparks fly  
Whenever you smile**_

_**Get me with those green eyes, baby as the lights go down  
Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around  
'Cause I see sparks fly  
Whenever you**** smile**_

"...I love you."

He said it... I took in every word and...

My powers didn't go overboard. It feels like all my fears have been sent away! I'm overwhelmed with emotions that don't seem to want to be expressed via my powers, but rather by my raw me. It's a new - and really _awesome_ - feeling.

"I love you too," I told him, those emotions oozing out from my words. "Finally."

_**And the Sparks Fly  
**__**Oh, baby,**** smile**_

In one - _swift!_ - motion, she opened her arms and closed them around my neck. Totally basking in the moment, I hugged her back.

Three years, sparks flew between us. All them different kinds of sparks. Fireworks, gunshots, static shocks, dynamites; we've been through them all. They were always for each other and the sparks never died down. Never. Ever.

_**And the Sparks**** Fly...**_

I released Beast Boy from my embrace and said with a breathy tone of relief and finality before we head out to dinner, and to declare our new relationship to the whole team...

"Finally."

**(Author's Note: Hi! I've been busy recently, and likely throughout this month as well, so I've been less than active. But I've got this halfway done and decided to finish it while my business is out of its peak!**

**It's another Taylor Swift song, I know. My fourth already, the inspirations just keep coming. I hope y'all enjoy it nonetheless.**

**Also, some news about my set of BBRae one-shots, BBRae Madness... I think I will stop posting one-shots here after Chapter 30, which will be the last chapter. I decided I want to give each one-shot their own individual spotlight! After the 30th chapter, each one-shot will be posted individually and not in a set. The "Interview with Beast Boy" mini-series will also be turned to its own multi-chapter story (like, just 5) under its own title.)**


	20. Proof

"BEAST BOY!"

"Yo, Raven, why the shouting?"

"Because, Cyborg, this Beast Boy here wrote on my book!"

"Say what?! No, I didn't!"

"What did he write, friend Raven? Is it something glorious or gloomy?"

"He wrote 'I love you! Be my girlfriend?' to me! Robin, look at this! It's his doing, right?"

"Definitely."

"Now, now you have no proof!"

"Really, Beast Boy? Who spells 'love' as L-A-O-V in here?"

"Booyah, Beast Boy! Ya got caught! So Raven, what's your answer?"

"To what?"

"Will you be his girlfriend? This is most adorable and lovely!"

"Uh..."

**(Author's Note: I'm sorry this is SO short, but life's been busy at the moment, and the next chapter of I Wanna Know What Love Is is still in the works. This is proof that I'm still alive in the fanfic community!)**


	21. Nail Clippers

"RAVEN! I know you did it!"

Beast Boy frantically tossed the CDs out of their tidied-up places, then proceeded to search from under the couch and the carpet. He then searched the lamps, then in ovens, in the sink, _inside_ the sink, and pretty much the whole of the Teen Titans main room.

"RAVEN!"

Raven summoned herself to the common room, where she was greeted with a fine mess and an aggravated Beast Boy. She had one of her countless novels in her hand, ready to be read when she were to be bored of her conversation with her angrier-than-usual teammate.

Because of his desperate searching, it took almost a minute for him to notice that Raven had appeared in the middle of the room. And when he did notice, he immediately got to her with a sense of both urgency and impatience.

Palm up and eyes squinting out of frustration, he demanded, "Give me back my nail clippers!"

Raven pretended to stifle a yawn, being nonchalant as always. She didn't give an immediate response, making Beast Boy more flustered.

"Well?!"

No response.

Beast Boy flailed his arms and shouted, "Raven, I'm serious!"

No response.

"Gah!" Beast Boy wanted to flip a table, and then snap it into two. The tables had definitely turned that morning, for it was Raven's turn to get on Beast Boy's bad side. "Please, Raven, I need to clip my nails!"

"Now why would I hide your nail clippers?" Raven asked in a deadpan manner. She had her arms folded for effect. She wanted to really annoy Beast Boy, and this was her way of doing so.

Beast Boy eyed Raven suspiciously as she hovered towards the kitchen section to whip up a cup of herbal tea.

"I know what you're up to, Raven," he said. "You've been complaining last week about my nail-clippings! How they're on the counter and how they gross you out. Well, first of all, I am sorry I disgust you! It's hard being me, I'll have you know! So can I have my nail clippers back, _please_? They're really important to me! Super long nails are just so uncomfortable! I literally can feel my toenails scratching the bottom of my own two feet!"

Raven turned to Beast Boy, giving him a slightly more serious look, finally giving her say on the seemingly useless matter.

"I just don't know what to do with you. I've told you countless times about your nails flying around during your cutting sessions with those specialized clippers of yours, and I've had enough of it. They're hidden somewhere, and I'm not telling you."

Beast Boy squinted even more.

_So, she wants to play it that way, huh?_ he thought. Both of them then heard footsteps from behind, and turned their heads to see Cyborg and Robin entering the room and talking about fighting moves and tests of strength.

Beast Boy then said, "Whatever, Raven. I'll get my revenge. You watch."

Robin and Cyborg stopped their discussion to see what was going on.

"And I am _so_ horrified," Raven said casually, plopping herself on the sofa, placing her cup of tea on the table in front, and plopping her thick book of fiction on her lap. With that final statement filled with clarity and promise, Beast Boy stomped off the room, with _rip_ sounds slightly audible coming from his toenails scratching viciously at his own shoes.

Beast Boy was off to concoct a plan to get back at Raven, in the grossest way possible...

* * *

Two days later, during combat practice, Beast Boy initiated his plan.

Each team member were to individually complete a course as fast as they could. As usual, Cyborg's time was the time to beat. The others always questioned the credibility and objectivity of the course since Cyborg was the one who built every single obstacle course they had ever done.

Raven was up next, and she was doing well. She was zooming past at the spots where flying was a huge benefit.

But when the giant mechanical hands came along, Raven was struggling a bit. They wanted to grab her, smack her, block her, and she had to escape from all of them.

One of them grabbed her cloak instead of all of her, and she flew off without it. The team was laughing at her misfortune but cheered at the same time for continuing on to finish the course.

Raven completed the course just seconds slower than the current titleholder.

"Great job, Raven!" Beast Boy cheered.

"Can someone take my cloak for me?" Raven said whilst panting. Beast Boy volunteered to, and flew as an eagle to retrieve it.

When he returned, he handed Raven the cloak. Raven examined it, and realized it was torn in some places.

"What happened to my cloak?!" she asked Beast Boy. Beast Boy just shrugged despite knowing it was his fingernails that ripped the delicate cloak.

"Look, Robin's about to run the course!" Beast Boy said, diverting the attention back to the course. The timer started and the signal sounded, and Robin was off fast like the bird he was named after.

"Whoo!" Beast Boy cheered alongside Cyborg and especially Starfire. Raven however, tired and characteristically unenthusiastic, sat down and rested.

Beast Boy noticed. He looked at her and invited her to join in on the cheering.

"No thanks," she declined. But Beast Boy wasn't about to give up. Inside, he was snickering, because he knew what he was going to do next, and it would madden her to an unknown extent.

"Come on, Raven, join us!" Beast Boy said, he ran to her and - to Raven's chagrin - pulled her up. His fingernails piercingly penetrating Raven's wrist.

"Let go!" she gasped in pain, but Beast Boy pulled on, making Raven wince, until they were where Cyborg and Starfire were.

When Robin completed the course, the crowd went wild.

"Whoo!" Beast Boy celebrated, a deadpan Raven beside him. "High five!"

Raven wasn't willing to give him one, especially with those fingernails of his.

"Come on, Raven!"

Beast Boy then grabbed Raven's hand so he could do the high-five for them.

"THAT'S IT!" Raven yelled. "I know what you're up to, Beast Boy!"

Beast Boy grinned.

"Fine, you can have your clippers back! Just please, cut your nails!"

Raven summoned Beast Boy's nail clippers and threw it at him.

"Finally," he grabbed his beloved clippers and chuckled at Raven. "That was fun. Thanks!"

"This battle isn't over, Beast Boy," Raven warned darkly.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Beast Boy replied, playfully winking at Raven. Raven growled, and teleported back into her room. Beast Boy smiled at himself, staring at his nail clippers, which he noticed had been polished.

"Fooling around Raven is so much fun..."

* * *

**(Author's Note: Just a little something something to show a bit of what I feel goes around in the tower between Beast Boy and Raven on a quiet day. ^_^ )**


	22. From My Point Of View

**From My Point Of View, A Poem Of You**

Blue cloak always swooping elegantly  
Gentle as a swan in the dead of night  
But stern, steady and strong when she takes flight  
I believe she does it beautifully

A heroine with traits that contradict  
Her wit endearing, her deadpan point blank  
When she smiles I'm glad, when sad my heart sank  
In my opinion, a wondrous conflict

Hard-working just to control her powers  
She unleashes the darkness for the good  
Stealing from evil, she is Robin Hood  
To protect the world, she never cowers

Her little nose often on thick novels  
I find that adorably annoying  
She would be better of doing great things  
With the one who loves her on great levels

Someday, I will have courage to be true  
To tell everyone how I really feel  
That Raven is the woman I appeal  
From my point of view, please feel this way too

_by Garfield Logan_

**(Author's Note: Another poem! This time, in Beast Boy's point of view! I was actually planning to write a sonnet (would be my first time making one), but forgot about it right before the sestet and continued the format all the way DX No matter, that only means I will most likely make one proper sonnet for BBRae later one ;) )**


	23. Cheer Up!

**(AUTHOR'S NOTE: To avoid confusion, read Chapter 6 first for Chirrup! It's kind of a spoof to it.)**

_Gud mornin, my Rae of Sunshyn!_ - Beast Boy (changelingbbr)

_Get out of Chirrup..._ - Raven (ttazarath)

_Aw what's da prob?_

_saw u this mornin, u looked unhappier than usual_ - Beast Boy

_I love you for caring, but it's none of your beeswax._ - Raven

_U depressed? We've bin 2gether 4 2 years, beauty bird, I know wen ur _v

_not ^, neither nor _ - Beast Boy

_*sighs* Fine! I'll tell you!_

_It's about Chirrup, ironically._ - Raven

_lol n den?_ - Beast Boy

_AND THEN,_

_They closed down the poems page..._

_Claimed it was too 'depressing', like _come on_ __ - Raven

_/Poor Ravie is sooo sad w/out her dismal poems/_ - Beast Boy

_D-:_

_Watch the sarcasm, Gar, I taught you that!_ - Raven

_RoFL i kno. anything i can do to make u happy?_ - Beast Boy

_idk_ - Raven

_There's a new bookstore opening at the complex_

_Next to a recently opened cafe_

_Wanna go? ;)_ - Beast Boy

_That would be WONDERFUL, Gar!_

_Thank you! You're the best! _- Raven

_No ur da best ;)_ - Beast Boy

_You! -_ Raven

_You!_ - Beast Boy

_Do u wanna do something else tonight?_

_Something fun for a change? ;) _- Raven

_ooh defo!_

_Do I finally get to do wat i want?_ - Beast Boy

_Testing Star's phone, testing..._ - Cyborg (cybernetic)

_No! Ew!_ - Raven

_Hey Cyborg!_ - Beast Boy

_Chirrup sucks. Get out more, guys!_ - Robin (laidanegg)

_How are _THEY _posting here?_

_I thought it's only our message board? O.O_ - Raven

_I hacked into it!_ - Cyborg

_In order to enable us to view the adorable dialog between you two lovely and splendid couple!_ - Starfire (yourusernamehere)

_OMG! Beast Boy our messages!_ - Raven

_Dude! Unhack!_ - Beast Boy

_I can't, man_...

_It's open for public now..._

_Um..._

_Sry? gtg_ - Cyborg

_WOW, friends!_

_You have been exchanging dirty messages regarding the tonight's activities!_ - Starfire

_Cyborg! COME BACK HERE!_ - Beast Boy

_Everyone can see this!_ - Raven

_Well, this is cute and disturbing_ - Bumblebee (honeycomb870)

_*exasperated sigh*_ - Raven

_Relax, Rae, cant be dat bad..._ - Beast Boy

**2,843 more replies! [Click to Open]**


	24. Lying Underneath a Cloak

**(Author's Note: In dedication to the reveal of Raven's face on _Teen Titans GO!_, an idea for another BBRae one-shot popped up in my head! Here we're assuming Raven has NEVER pulled her hood down or at least showed her face to anyone before.)**

* * *

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Please with a cherry on top?"

"No."

"Please with your _favorite fruit_ on top?"

"No!"

"I'll do your chores for the rest of the year."

"It's December. No!"

"Next two years?"

"Still, _no_."

"Come on, Raven, one tiny peek!"

"NO!"

"_Teeeeeeeeeeensy look -_"

"Stop it, Beast Boy! I have no time for this."

Raven composed herself before slamming the door in front of Beast Boy.

Beast Boy heaved a sigh and shook his head in disappointment.

"Hey, man, whaddap?" Cyborg had stumbled upon his best friend outside Raven's door. "What were you and Raven arguing about?"

"Have you ever wondered what Raven's face looks like?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg stared into space to recollect any memory about wanting to see Raven's facial features.

"No," was his brief reply.

Beast Boy gave him a shocked look. For months, he had been wondering what Raven's face looks like, and had seemed to be endlessly bothering her just to pull down her hood in front of them for the first time, and she just wouldn't do it.

"But she's got that concealment of a cloak on since _forever_, Cy!" Beast Boy complained, flailing his arms in the air out of desperation. "Not like we'll creep out if she pulls it down!"

"I heard that," came Raven's monotone voice.

Beast Boy let out a sound of frustration at Raven's direction.

"It's her business, man," Cyborg responded. "Frankly, I don't care if she never pulls it down. If she's got something to hide, let her hide it."

"But duuuuude!" Beast Boy whined.

"Don't dude me! If you want to see her face so much, why not mind as well disturb Robin and get him to reveal his eyes to the world as well?! Why are you bothering only her?"

Beast Boy blushed a bit as Cyborg retorted.

"He's got a point," came Raven's voice again.

"Fine, fine, whatever!" Beast Boy admitted defeat, walking away. "I'll stop bothering ya! I'll just walk around Main Street if anyone needs me; I've got places to go, _faces_ _to_ _see_!

If there was a door nearby that he had to go through, he would slam it, but since there wasn't, he settled for stomping loudly.

"He is way over his head for you, Raven," Cyborg told Raven at the other side of the door. "A little too close if you ask me."

"I know," Raven said in a tone so nonchalant. She then opened her door, revealing her cloaked self to the light, and told Cyborg, "I'm heading out too. Today's been one of those slow, crime-less days, and so I think me heading to the bookstore won't be much of a nuisance."

After bidding bye to Cyborg, Raven concealed herself in a telekinetic globe and vanished before the half-robot's eyes.

* * *

"Ha ha, let's see what Beast Boy can do this evening!"

Beast Boy meandered along the shops at Main Street, Jump City, picking one he would check out for the night.

"Been there... Done that... Checked that last week... Never visiting there again..."

He passed by the games center, the pet shop, the manga store, and the fashion boutique. He went on walking, declining entrances to the rest of the shops at that specific row, until he reached a detour to an alley. He stopped to think.

"I have always skipped whatever's in this alley 'cause it's so dark and creepy," he told himself. With a shrug, he answered to himself, "How scary can it be? I'm no chicken!"

He set foot into the dank, somewhat spooky passage. There were only three blocks of shops doing business in the alleyway; a cafe, a pub and a bookstore.

"Hm... Which one?" Beast Boy examined the one closest to him; the cafe. Its logo was of a skull, and it was eerily dark inside. He decided it was too depressing to even give it a chance.

He then checked the pub, and received unprecedented goosebumps. The aura of that pub; with people having tattoos, Mohawks, or piercings in the wrongest places, was just too negative for Beast Boy. Finally, he checked the bookstore, and though it looked boring like any other novel-selling shop, it seemed more decent than the other two hubs he saw.

After reassuring to himself that he would just exit once he found the store too boring, he climbed the three stairs and walked in to the dimly lit shop.

Not counting the bookkeeper and himself, there were less than ten people in Novelty Novels, and Beast Boy estimated with whatever mathematical skills he had that it would take under an hour to intently go through every shelf and section.

"I'll start with the boring-est one," he stated, walking with a lack of enthusiasm towards the romance section.

* * *

"Farewell, Rachel. Have a fine night."

The cafe barrister waved goodbye to a purple hair teenage girl, who simply waved back and walked into the alleyway.

"I'm just heading to Novelty Novels," Rachel responded to the barrister in a soft, raspy voice. "I might return if I don't find a good read tonight."

The barrister let out an arrogant laugh.

"Judging your character, I've not a doubt that you will get a book to be enticed with, so still, I'm saying farewell."

Rachel squinted at the barrister until she saw nothing more than his shadow heading back to the counter. With a sigh, she headed straight to the bookstore two blocks away.

"Welcome back, Ms. Roth!" greeted the bookkeeper, to which Rachel responded with a single but sufficient nod.

Rachel read each of the section, thinking which one she should go for. The first one she saw read 'Romance'.

"Most definitely not," she refused before heading straight to the horror section.

As she was walking to the last row of shelves for the desired section, she suddenly heard a too-familiar voice among female sighs, the kind that is often expressed whenever they see someone dreamy.

"And Cyborg was like, 'No, man, Pride and Prejudice is so girly!' and I said, 'Emotional doesn't equal to girly!', what a man's man Cyborg is."

"You're definitely a man, Beast Boy," said one of the girls surrounding him in a hazy, kind of mesmerized tone. "That is attractive."

Beast Boy grinned widely, showing off his out-of-place fang, as well as wiggling his elvish ears. "I know."

Although the situation he had been talking about had never ever happened, not even remotely close, he liked the attention he was receiving and convinced himself that the more persistent he was in his lies, the truer they will be.

If I keep this up, I'll be able to attract the most beautiful lady, he thought with connivance.

Rachel secretly took a quick glance to her left, and indeed the person she thought of was at the end of the section, huddled in between by a circle of ladies about the boy's age. She tensed up once realization hit her. Beast Boy was in the bookstore, and she was too. She had to get out of there.

Before Rachel could make anymore moves, Beast Boy had looked up and saw her looking at him. To Rachel, the locked gazes were awkward, but to Beast Boy, it made his heart thump.

It was the purest face he had ever seen on a female. Her grey skin was flawless. Her light purple lips were like tofu on a starving morning. Her purple bob was simply short and sweet. She had gleaming amethyst eyes that he imagined would match his own emerald pair. Overall, he had been bestowed upon and introduced to some kind of miraculous form of natural beauty. He _had_ to see and talk to her, there was no way he would not.

"Um... Excuse me, ladies, but I gotta go," he abruptly told the females around him, resulting in a roar of sad aw's. He returned his sights on Rachel, who was gone. He ran after her.

"Hey, wait up!" he said frantically. He barely saw her sneakers through the exit and followed Rachel. He contemplated transforming into a fast animal to catch up with her, but he figured it would freak her out, and he was confident he was a faster runner than her as a human already.

* * *

Rachel was panting and continuously looking back from time to time as she turned left at the end of the alley, to the street of shops. She was thinking of taking the fastest way, but decided it wasn't worth the risk, so she kept running.

Beast Boy wondered why the girl was running away from him. Was she afraid? Was she disgusted? Was she not interested? She couldn't be so quick to judge.

Second by second, Beast Boy closed the gap, Rachel could see him, his image enlarging as he got closer to her.

Fashion boutique, manga store, pet shop, games center -

"Gotcha!"

Beast Boy almost tackled Rachel, but changed to just grab her by the hand in time. Rachel looked back and groaned.

"No, no, I'm sorry, miss!" Beast Boy apologized quickly, releasing his tight grip. "I just wanted to talk to you, but when you ran away I thought there was something wrong about me. I didn't want you to hate me or anything, so I tried to catch up to you to at least get that straight, hehe."

Rachel remained silent, her face telling Beast Boy that she didn't want to talk at all costs.

"W-what?" he wondered out loud, thinking that it was something on his face. "Um, I'm sorry... again. I'm Beast Boy. What's yours?"

He extended a hand gentlemanly. Rachel shook his hand, but didn't say her name.

"Not so good with introductions, I see," Beast Boy said, chuckling at his own - for a lack of better word in his head - joke. Rachel didn't seem to find it funny, for she didn't laugh or even smile.

"Oh _come on_," Beast Boy said with frustration. The most attractive ones had to be the ones he had problems talking to. "Are you mute?"

Rachel shook her head, and Beast Boy had to wonder if she wasn't talking because she wanted him to go away. That only made him want to stay.

"I won't leave until you say something!" he challenged, winking at Rachel, making her roll her eyes. He raised an eyebrow at that response. He thought it looked familiar. But then he had a bigger, more important task at hand; making an extremely beautiful non-mute woman talk.

"Do you like books? You were at the bookstore, but then just left," he said, being as friendly as he could. "We can go back there and check it out."

Rachel shook her head again. Beast Boy had to think of an open ended question so that the response he'd receive wouldn't come from moving a head.

"Where are your friends? Or parents? Or relatives? Anyone you know?" he asked. Rachel just stared at him in a perplexing gaze that somehow expressed frustration, scare, and wonder.

"Gah, woman!" Beast Boy screamed. "How do I get a soft-spoken chick to talk to me?!"

Beep! Beep!

"Oh, hold on for a second, please?" Beast Boy said as he took out his communicator, with Robin on the screen.

"Beast Boy, where are you?!" the leader asked.

"I'm at Main Street, just chilling out!" Beast Boy replied briefly, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Well, come back as soon as possible! And if you find Raven, get her here too! It's nearing midnight, and I don't want to sound like anyone's mother, so don't force me to set up a curfew!"

"Relax, dude! Curfews are totally uncool, even for a hero!" Beast Boy retorted.

"What are you doing anyway?" Robin asked.

"Engaging a conversation with a wonderful woman," he replied. Rachel heard him, and stepped on his shoe hard, making him tumble down in agony. Rachel scurried away.

"Wait up - again!" Beast Boy hung up the communicator and chased after Rachel for the second time. "Why are you running away from me? I'm not that ugly, am I?!"

He caught her just in time again. This time, out of frustration for having to work so hard to fulfill some kind of desire to get Rachel to talk, he pulled her towards him. It resulted to Rachel twirling until she and he were face-to-face, noses inches apart.

Rachel pushed him back and glared at an apologetic Beast Boy.

"To be fair, that wouldn't've happened if you just spoke!" Beast Boy retorted. "But have no fear, whoever you are! From my talk with Robin, I've received an idea that's bound to work! Well, it worked on Raven."

Rachel gulped, believing her silent ways were to end real soon.

Beast Boy grinned as widely as ever and stared interestingly at Rachel.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

Rachel was quick to shake her head, raising Beast Boy's suspicions. Why did she shake her head instantly as if she knew his jokes were lame? Not that he admitted they were, but maybe she somehow found out through the mass media.

"I didn't _hear _an answer, so I'll tell it!"

Rachel depressingly covered her eyes with her hand as she listened to Beast Boy.

"Why are the cheese and the corn frustrated with each other?" Rachel had heard that before. "'Cause their jokes were cheesy and corny!"

Beast Boy looked willingly at Rachel, expecting her to laugh but she didn't. In fact, her face did not move a muscle. It was the stoniest poker face he had ever seen. But he didn't give up.

"Oh! Here's another one! What did the cake say to the candle?" Rachel waited out the suspenseful silence. "Burn, baby, burn!"

Beast Boy laughed maniacally as Rachel heaved a mere sigh, which caught his attention.

"Almost there," he told her before his communicator beeped again.

"What now? I'm in the middle of something!" It was Starfire on the screen.

"Forgive my intrusion, Beast Boy, but I want to know if you have got a clue to Raven's whereabouts."

Rachel gulped, peering over Beast Boy's shoulder to look at the communicator screen.

"She hasn't gone home?" Beast Boy asked incredulously. "Can't you call her?"

"I fear she left her communication device in her room of bed. Oh, this is most worrisome."

"Nah, don't sweat it, Star!" Beast Boy reassured. "I'm sure Raven's fine! Wait… I got it! I kmow what joke to say!" Rachel secretly glared at Beast Boy.

"If you say so," Starfire grinned. "Less-the-none, I shall give the news to Robin."

Starfire ended their conversation, returning Beast Boy to his full, undivided attention to Rachel.

"I've got just the joke that will make you roll on the floor in laughter!" he exclaimed. "I won't ask if you want to hear it; you have no choice!"

"Enough!"

Rachel's shout took Beast Boy by the biggest surprise. Not only was he finally hearing Rachel's voice, but Rachel's voice sounded like the voice of someone he knew. He just ended a discussion with Starfire regarding that very same person.

"RAVEN?!"

Rachel - or Raven - rolled her eyes, sighed, and slowly nodded her head.

"You were Rachel all along!?" Beast Boy was in utter disbelief.

"She's my alter ego. Unlike you, I wouldn't want to go around Jump City in my superhero outfit." The upset Raven placed a hand on her hip.

"But we - when you - and I…" It took the initial shock to recover from until Beast Boy realized that he had just seen Raven's face for the first time. It then took the strike of that revelation to recover from until he realized that he thought all along that Raven had the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

"Are we going home or not?" Raven deadpanned impatiently. She was the complete opposite of thrilled that Beast Boy had finally seen her face. On the flip side, he wouldn't be nagging her to pull diwn that hood anymore.

Beast Boy chuckled at Raven and at his thoughts of her. "Alright, let's go home."

Before they took off to the skies, he added with much sincerity, "You know, Raven; you should really stop wearing that hooded cloak of yours."


	25. Dating Manual

**(Author's Note: Hi guys! Thank you for all the reviews and response! They make me giddily happy! This is my first DRABBLE so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!)**

Grab her gently by the wrist.

Slowly pull her closer to you.

Gaze into her eyes.

Wait until she looks straight into yours.

Smile in response.

Steadily lower your sight to her lips.

Bite your own seductively.

Stare right back at her eyes.

Gently cup her face with free hand.

Warm up for awhile.

Lean towards her until face-to-face.

Kiss.

Feel the moment in ways deemed appropriate.

Raven could not help but watch Beast Boy read his manual _while_ doing the steps to her. But when that final instruction had been enacted, she just had to play along.


	26. Could It Be

**(Author's Note: Almost Chapter 30! This is a songfic in a first-perspective format, & the song is … *drumroll* … #drumroll … Could It Be from Kim Possible and sung by Christy Carlson : I don't own Teen Titans nor Kim Possible. If I do, they'd still be airing new seasons (the cartoon version we first love).)**

We started out as strangers. Neither of us realized that our first encounter would set the tone for the rest of our lives. That epiphany struck us like lightning, but it was rather serendipitous. It took years upon years for it to develop, but will take decades to conclude.

I mean, no one was expecting such a relationship to blossom to more than just a scentful flower. No one. If we were talking about this before it happened, I would be in utter disbelief. But by a form of destiny and its twists, the unthinkable occurred. It is surreal.

Fate is a word of hope, but the phenomenon as a whole is downright crazy. Crazy, but I believe in it. Fate needs no instructions, no order, and that's what makes people scratch their puzzled heads. It would definitely be a good word to use as an answer whenever anyone would ask about how two people fall in love

_**I know we've been friends forever**_  
_**But now I think I'm feeling something totally new**_  
_**And after all this time I've opened up my eyes**_  
_**Now I see you were always with me**_

Acceptance. Redemption. A family. Those intangible feelings that are cherishable. Everyone looks for such feelings at at least one point of their lives. For us, one of those moments was that very night. As we worked on atraining those certain feelings, we all knew that we had to work through them together.

Beginnings are always rough. There are no such things as happy beginnings. The beginning of our relationship hit rocky roads like everyone else, but especially because of our polarizing personalities. Jokes were made. Creepy comments were said. Our biggest task was to get used to each other.

We put in our efforts to put up with each other while getting to know each other more, especially from my end. We didn't know then that we would end up loving each other and being together, so we were being curtly friendly and just trying to find common ground.

_**Could it be you and I**_  
_**Never imagined**_  
_**Could it be suddenly I'm falling for you**_  
_**Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew**_  
_**Could it be that it's true **_  
_**That it's you, and it's you**_

As time went by, many difficulties were imposed on us. Everything about each other, the rest of our teammates, that we failed to grow accustomed to by then were becoming harder to bear, and close relationships became more difficut to maintain.

Plus, being superheroes we have many places to go and people to see. That opens doors for external relationships to be created and to develop with the existing ones between teammates. As I put mpre focus on the newer relationships, I was distancing myself from the close ones I had before. My mistake.

Once you get so close with a person, and he or she then cuts off the relationship with you, you have a large gaping hole in your heart that is hard to mend because you don't have such closeness with others. It feels like starting something all over again.

_**It's kinda funny you were always near**_  
_**But who would ever thought that we would end up here**_  
_**And every time I need you, you've been there for me**_  
_**So now it's clear I've been waiting for you**_

But often in times, it takes a break from a person to find out what you miss and love most about them. Fortunately, that was the case for us. It was obvious to everyone that we were spending much more time together for an unknown reason.

Hugs. Heartfelt talks. Fooling around. The oddest yet most wonderful thing is that they happened naturally with the spurs of the moment. Because we unspokenly decided that we shall be more open to each other, our friendship greatly built up from there, and I am sure there were some degrees of admiration from both sides.

It's funny, how a change can ignite a chain of other changes, and they all compile to a gradual, significant change. Perhaps that's why no one saw what was coming. Destiny likes to play slowly, steadily and surely. Think about a special moment and how some small changes lead to it. Amazing.

_**Could it be you and I**_  
_**Never imagined**_  
_**Could it be suddenly I'm falling for you**_  
_**Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew**_  
_**Could it be that it's true **_  
_**That it's you, oh it's you**_

If anyone would ask me what was our turning point, our peak, our fulcrum or climax, I would say the events that lead to Trigon's rising. That was when we needed each other the most, for support or honesty. You know what they; People reveal their true colors in desperate times. We did during this.

The urge to help each other through thick and thin, high and low, and hot and cold, did not deter our mutual feelings for each other if not strengthen it. We were reminded of what we treasure the most and in turn realized that we care for each other more than we assumed.

The fear with all this portal and destruction of Earth did not fully open us up to each other, but when Trigon fell with the help of hope, it secretly gave us the hope to continue from where we left off. And after knowing who we value most as a result of the events, we didn't anything standing in our way.

_**'Cause today is the start of the rest of our lives**_  
_**I can see it in your eyes**_  
_**Oh, then it's real, and it's true**_  
_**And it's just me and you**_  
_**Could it be that it's true  
That it's you**_

The epiphany of our love is like finally realizing and admitting any addictions you have, only more positively. Even during our missions to fight the Brotherhood of Evil, we willed to find time to contact each other long distance to flirt and whatnot. us in touch, in love and motivated for the big job.

When all was settled and nothing big had happened since the underground fight in Paris, we wasted no time hooking up. We did it subtly of course. We knew the relationship was going somewhere, so it just happened like a magic trick.

At first, everyone was skeptical about this pair. And us ourselves wondered if we could actually be the person for each other. The answer is yes. If we have spent years being honest with each other, this love must be dead real and true.

_**Could it be you and I  
**_**_Never imagined_**_**  
**_**_Could it be suddenly I'm falling for you  
Could it be you were right here beside me and I never knew  
_**_**Could it be that it's true  
That it's you, oh that it's you**_

It's her. It's Raven. She's mine and I'm hers. We're ours. I love it when people talk about _BBRae_. It's such a genius name, people should use it more often. In fanfiction or something.

Anyway, as unimaginable and sudden it may seem, Raven and I are starting the rest of our lives with promises that they will be filled with adventure, comedy, romance and witticism.

So guys, everytime you deeply wonder "Could it be?", listen to my voice saying "Yes, it probably can!".

_**Could it be that it's true that it's you  
That it's you  
Oh, it's you**_


	27. Tofu & Tea

"I don't understand why everyone hates this. It's good!"

Just then, Raven entered the room to see Beast Boy standing proudly while her three other teammates looked sickened.

"It tastes badder than my sadness's pudding," Starfire was on the verge of vomiting.

"Raven! Try some!"

"NO!" roared Cyborg, Robin and Starfire.

"It's nasty!" Cyborg added. Beast Boy glared.

"Okay."

Her teammates covered their eyes in horror as Raven took a sip.

"Not bad." The three, bewildered, dropped comically. "What is it?"

"I_ knew_ they're perfect for each other!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"It's tofu tea!"

* * *

**(A/N: Another drabble! R&R please!)**


	28. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours

"Are you sure about this? _Really sure?_"

Gar heaved a sigh. "Yes."

"You might regret it, Garfield Logan. I'm dead serious. There are other guys out there who will kill to have me. I know for a fact."

_Here we go again,_ Gar inwardly rolled his eyes. He'd been listening to his ex-wife-to-be sound like she had everything figured out when in fact she was still the same old obsessed possessive nuisance that Gar never saw in her until recently. They knew she lacked control. She wasn't mental or anything. Gar had made it his mission to support Tara through her struggles, but the more they tried to cooperate the farther apart they felt. They never could pinpoint what was the cause. Maybe it was that Tara had been secretly clubbing and seeing this dude, which one night she had uttered the name in her sleep. _Slade Wilson_.

Gar knew Mr. Wilson. They were enemies. Mr. Wilson was pretty much the arch nemesis of many people and practically the ringleader of a local gang of misbehaving wrongdoers. Tara would continually promise to never go near him again, but would break that promise just as often. As far as Gar was concerned, they never really did anything, but the mere fact that Tara seemed to forget what her problems were whenever around that mysterious man bothered Gar extremely.

"And what are you going to do?" Tara Logan pressed on, subtly attempting to get out of what the two were about to do at the moment. "Go back to living with the Daytons? This is my house. The Markov Residence. The Dayton Residence is through with you, if I recall correctly. You need me just as much as I need you. Have you considered that?"

Gar remained calm.

"Yes, I have."

Going back to the issue, _or_ maybe it was Gar's realization overtime. Tara wasn't the one for him. He had found the one long ago, but he had overlooked it all those years. It took only until recently for it to sink in. Only when the one he truly cared about was gone.

A flashback hit him at that moment.

* * *

_"You're choosing her? Why?"_

_Gar couldn't stand his friend speak as if she were choking. She had heard the news that Gar had proposed to Tara, and she wasn't particularly happy. For months now, she had been telling Gar that she wasn't the one for him._

_"What do you mean 'why'?"_

_"I mean, why?" Rachel repeated. "What do you see in her?"_

_"It's true love, okay!" Gar snapped. "The reason's not explainable. I don't get it. Why can't you be happy for me?"_

_Rachel glared at Gar, giving him the you-are-clueless look. Throughout their relationship as friends, Rachel had always been the one putting logic into his senses. It always went well with his zany thoughts. They had the Yin-Yang thing going on between them. But Gar was not feeling zen at that moment. He was feeling impatient with Rachel. Confused._

_"You're in that honeymoon stage, Gar," Rachel retorted, brushing her short hair back as the breeze strengthened. "All you two do together are the fun stuff. Temporary fun stuff. The reality has not sunk in. I know. Trust me. I've gone through it. What you have with Tara at this moment? I doubt it'll transcend to how we are together."_

_Rachel's wordy attempt to make Gar see the light was a lot for him to understand. He had to break down the message. He knew Rachel had had a past relationship that ended not so well._

_"What do you mean 'it'll transcend to how we are together'?" Gar asked. Rachel flushed, like she wasn't supposed to say that out loud._

_"I-I mean..." she stammered._

* * *

"Don't tell me..." Tara gritted. "_Her_? She was the person who tried to wreck our relationship to begin with! You going to her would just make it look like you're the biggest fool in the entire galaxy!"

Gar gave Tara a serious look, meaning the both of them had the same person in mind.

"Then I am a fool," Gar said. "But I'm not getting any wiser staying here for too long."

Tara sighed in defeat. Her blue eyes were like poison.

"You're an idiot," she said bitterly. "You better hope she still loves you. It's been months, hasn't it?"

"I'll take my chances."

"Better start signing those divorce papers, then," Tara said with a click of a pen. She added softly to herself, "Tara Wilson doesn't sound as bad at least."

"Signed."

* * *

Weight off shoulders. Free from prison. After-school detention finished. They pretty much summed up Gar's feeling when the divorce was made official.

Tara and Gar wasted no time packing his stuff up so that he could exit the mansion. He never really liked that place anyway. _Too extravagant,_ he noted the first time he entered the household.

The first thing he did after that was try to find Rachel.

82 Rose Street. Her apartment.

"May I see Rachel?" asked Gar, brimming with hope and a sufficient pinch of anxiety.

"She moved out a month ago," boomed the voice of the grimy landlord. Gar had expected such an answer. She only lived in the apartment to save money during her college years. What Gar needed to find out next was her whereabouts.

"Why do I care?" asked the man nonchalantly, and he slammed the door in front of Gar.

Gar had to see her. Tell her that he was wrong all along. But they had broken off their connection about the time of the wedding.

"But she has to still be in the state," he told himself, thinking hard. _Where would she want to be?_

* * *

_"Gar, do you see that garden there?"_

_"Yeah. Why?"_

_Gar spotted the porch perched on top of a little hill. At the zenith was a garden of tulips and morning glories. Further behind the garden was a little cottage. A hilltop cottage. Gar knew only one person who would be interested in a place that radiated such a calming presence._

_"That's where I'd like to live," Rachel continued. "Somewhere overlooking the city, but not a penthouse. Nothing commercial or luxurious. I want a peaceful environment where I do my own thing and not get stressed out over the petty issues of this world."_

_"You really hate Earth so much," commented Gar._

_"It's that bad. Like, they're destroying our home. All of us. The end of the world might be approaching any minute. So there," she pointed at the little cottage. "I want to be there when that happens. That's why I'm workig so hard."_

_Gar had to do a double take. "Not for whatever you told me you were gonna do after college?"_

_"When did I even tell you about my plans for the future?" Rachel gave Gar a quizzical look. "I want it simple."_

_"Sounds like you," said Gar. "Go for it."_

* * *

Gar walked his way, because he wasn't left with much cash so he couldn't hire a cab, to the hill. The garden and cottage were still there.

"She must be here."

Gar climbed up the hill and fifteen minutes later, panting, he reached the top. He peered up the cottage window to see if his suspicions were right.

He saw Rachel on an armchair silently reading a thick book. Gar had no idea what major difference to her usual habits, but it must have been the atmosphere.

"RACHEL!"

Rachel jumpednup and looked around in surprise.

"Gar?"

"Over here!" he waved. Eachel noticed and let out a loud and long sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here?" asked Rachel, angrily but Gar could tell she was somewhat happy to see him. She let him in her cottage.

"I divorced her!" Gar told Rachel a bit top enthusiastically considering the issue he was talkig about.

"P-pardon me?" Rachel was still in shock she didn't fully understand him.

"I am divorced!" exclaimed Gar more loudly and clearly.

Rachel finally realized he was talking about Tara. They separated.

"Ok, so you come here to admit that I'm right?"

"You're right!" he grinned. "About everything. Rachel, I finally know what you meant. I love you."

It was all very quick. Rachel was just living her routine, and then Gar, as usual, would sidetrack her. She loved him all that time, she knew, and she was feeling a bot lonely at the cottage without her best friend.

"So let's be together," she urged, Gar could not agree more.

Gar affectionately held her head and kissed her.

"Sealed."

* * *

"Gar, did you shower the garden already?"

"Yes, dear. Now how about you ask if _I_ have showered?" asked Gar as he entered the cottage. "I'm beginning to think care for the garden more than your boyfriend."

Rachel let out a halfhearted sigh. "Have you showered?"

"Smell for yourself," said Gar before planting a kiss on her cheeks.

"Cheesy," shivered Rachel. "But definitely clean."

"Now, if you will respect my privacy, I have a call I need to make."

"What for?" Rachel made a face that clearly showed her distaste for commercial products.

"I need to It's important to me."

"Okay, but clearly you're keeping it a secret. Once you're done, your tofu will be ready. Meanwhile, since I can't ever find that tofu tasty, I'll boil myself some eggs."

"Thanks dear!" thanked Gar and he shut the door.

Gar quickly dialed the number and spoke really softly, "Hi, it's Gar. It'll be ready by this afternoon, right? Oh, evening? Hm… Meh, a proposal bu sunset sounds romantic too. Yeah, yes. Thank you. Bye."

Gar smiled to hinself excitedly.

"Delivered."


End file.
